Loving You Again
by LadySerenade
Summary: It broke his heart to see the changes the years had brought to Alec. Where there was once innocence a wall had been assembled. A distant man stood where a tentative boy had once been. Magnus just smirked. "It's been a long time," - A Malec fic. A reuniting story after long lost years. A dramatic, romantic, and sometimes humorous story about the love that Magnus and Alec still share
1. Intro

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: This is a story set in the future, in my own little fluffy universe where all the characters are going to survive the last book. Alec is 27 in this story. Jace and Clary are married, and have a daughter, Violet Lightwood. (She will only be in snippets) Isabelle runs the institute as well. Alec and Magnus haven't spoken in 8 years at this point, and this story will be about them reuniting after long lost years. There will be some OCs that I am adding in, but the main focus will be Alec and Magnus. I am also taking some liberties by making up demons and adding them in, and running with my imagination and how magic works in this universe. I really hope you give this story a chance, and please let me know if you like it! It will mostly be a romance keep in mind. But I like to be an interactive writer, so if you have any suggestions, and they are wicked awesome, I'll try and shape the story accoringly! This is just an intro, and of course if it is well received I will continue with it and update as quickly as I can! **

**(Clarification: Yes, Magnus and Alec have the same break-up as in the books, they have not seen each other since. Forgot to mention that.) **

**Read & Review!**

* * *

**Intro**

It had gotten dark too fast. The night came on hot and sticky, and the building they were searching seemed to have little air flow. Maia's tip had been a good one, there was definitely a demon taking up residence here. Its burning scent was heavy in the air, and Alec was sure he had seen blood over the entryway. He was searching the first floor, while Jace took the second. They had been working constantly as of late, and the weariness, along with the overbearing heat was dulling Alec's senses.

"You might want to come up here," Came a familiar voice from the direction of the stairwell. Alec back peddled and craned his neck up till he could see his parabatai's head poking over the landing. Jace's face was blank, whatever he found could be nothing good. Alec said nothing, only silently crept up the stairs, witchlight glowing between his fingers.

"Do I want to know?" He asked quietly.

"Not really," Was Jace's reply. He lead him down the hall, passing up several rooms that had missing floors, or fallen support beams. This place was on its last legs. Alec wouldn't be surprised if the thing collapsed at any second.

At the end of the hall stood a floor to ceiling window, almost every pane of glass shattered. What he thought had been a pile of debris underneath was coming into stark focus, and he could smell the coppery tones of blood. Jace was already crouching down by whoever the poor person was. There was a long blonde braid, but the face was so distorted and torn, that Alec couldn't recognize whoever the woman was. Jace had grabbed the hand and was pulling something off of her middle finger. He held it out to Alec, who took the object, realizing it was a ring. There was a knotted vine insignia wrapped around it. The Starwell family ring.

"Callista," Alec acknowledged, looking down at her body with a new found sadness. She had been a good shadowhunter, whatever had gotten the jump on her was dangerous to say the least. Callista used to help Isabell with training at the institute, Alec had always been impressed with her speed and cunning. She had also been quite young as well.

"Why would she be alone? She has a parabatai," Jace said, pulling out his seraph blade.

"Maybe Gwen is here somewhere," Alec suggested, though he suspected if she was, they would find her much the same. He crouched down by Jace then, placing a hand on Callista's bloody shoulder. "Ave Atque Vale Callista Starwell. Be at rest."

"We need to keep moving, we'll have to call someone to pick up her body," Jace said straightening up. Alec did the same, looking up at the ceiling. There was a large hole where he assumed she had fallen through. The edges of it were soaked in blood.

"I think whatever it is we're looking for is up there," Alec told Jace, pointing to the hole.

"To the next story then. Pahaliah," He whispered to his seraph blade, blazing it to life. Alec brought out his as well, following Jace up the stairs noiselessly. The third story was all but collapsed. The ceiling was caving in, sagging to the floor in most spaces. Doorways were cluttered with debris, and most of the rooms were unsearchable. Jace came up short, holding up his hand for Alec to do the same. He pointed ahead to the very end of the hall as it came into the steady glow of witchlight. There was a solid wooden door pulled shut. There were deep gashes in front of the door, chipping the wood of the floor boards. Alec could hear pacing, the steady click of claws on wood.

Suddenly there was an ear piercing howl. It was such a horrible sound Alec immediately covered his ears. He had never heard a sound like that. The cry of a werewolf was more melodic, and the burning scent of sulfur and rot told him that this was some other kind of creature.

"You don't think," Alec said, but his sentence was stopped short by a demonic roar. Their attention snapped back to the thick wooden door that stood closed. It started shaking violently, followed by an eerie silence. Then the door practically blew down the hallway, clean off the hinges. Both men flattened themselves on the wall, Alec dropping his runestone in the process. It clattered to the floor and was pinned as the door came crashing to the floor a few feet behind where they stood. In the doorway all Alec could make out were a pair of flaming red eyes, and the snarling jaws of a predator.

"What in the Angel's name is that," Alec shouted. Jace was just staring wide eyed, already in a fighting stance. Alec moved to stand next to his brother, seraph blade at the ready.

The creature howled again and barreled down the hall at them. Jace Lunged forward, dropping to his knees as the demon leapt at him. He slid underneath, seraph blade held high, catching the thing soundly in the stomach. The creature landed with an audible thud, even though it seemed to be made of little more than smoke, fangs and claws. It's body solidified when it turned to face Jace, jaws snapping loudly. It took the form of a great dog, with a long forked tail that had stingers on the end of it like a scorpion. His ears were hidden underneath two great horns on it's head, ones that curved back like a ram's. It turned on Jace, ramming forward with its massive head, knocking him to the ground. Alec let out a sharp whistle.

The creature turned its head, eyes locking on Alec. Instead of turning though, it lashed out with its tail. Alec jumped over the wicked stingers, but the demon was insanely fast, whipping the tail back in an arch and catching one of the stingers into the flesh of Alec's thigh. The stinger went clean through his gear, sticking in his leg for a moment, before pulling out, leaving a strange smoky liquid streaming behind it. Instantly his leg felt as if it was on fire, and he dropped to the ground with a cry of pain. He never let go of his seraph blade though, and held it up to guard his head.

Jace had recovered by then, and lunged out with his blade, but only managed to leave a superficial gash on the beast's shoulder. It was hard to accurately hit smoke in the dark. The demon turned again and flung his tail forward. Jace dodged the tail, but had little movement room in the hall, crashing into the wall behind him. It was a fatal mistake he could not afford to make. A mistake he shouldn't have made, but now he was on the ground, inches from the demon's head. It let out another feral howl and dove it's head forward, teeth sinking into the flesh of Jace's shoulder. It picked him up like a toy and flung him into the other wall. When Jace hit the ground he suddenly felt a fiery sensation piercing his abdomen. He looked down to see the creature had managed to get his stinger into his stomach. It ripped it free, prepared to strike again, and then magically halted. It tilted it's head to the side, as if he could hear someone calling for him. The demon howled once more, then ran from the scene and down into the abandoned home below.

Jace's vision began to blur, and his thoughts immediately stopped making sense. The walls seemed to be flaming, like the house had suddenly caught fire. The only thing he could think of was how absurd it was that the demon didn't finish the job. Then he lost consciousness.

From his spot on the ground Alec could feel the fire spreading up his leg. He had to act quickly. He had watched Jace go down, and the mysterious way the demon had flung himself off into the night. He knew he needed to call for help, and he fumbled around into his pocket till he found his phone. He slid it open and quickly punched in Isabelle's number, hoping that for once she would answer quickly. He didn't know how long he had till he lost consciousness too.

"Alec I'm busy," Came a clipped voice through the phone.

"Iz, Jace is down. I don't have long. I don't know," He said, then suddenly became breathless. When had the walls caught on fire?

"Alec?!" Isabel barked into the phone, the panic clear in her voice. "Alec!"

"Demon poison," He managed before blacking out.

* * *

Magnus couldn't even remember how long he had been lying in bed. Sleep seemed to not want to come to him tonight. He had been exhausted since returning from Rome, but he still couldn't get any rest. So when his phone suddenly lit up, vibrating from somewhere next to his head, he decided it wouldn't kill him to answer it. He hadn't taken a job since returning home, and honestly maybe working some magic would exhaust him enough to let him sleep. He picked up on the fourth or fifth ring.

"His imperial majesty," He said as way of answering.

"Magnus I need you at the institute," Was the short reply. It had been sometime since he had heard Isabelle Lightwood's voice, but he would always recognize it, as well as him realizing her urgent tone.

"What happened?" He asked, switching into business mode. He sat up, unceremoniously spilling Chairman Meow onto the floor. The cat hissed and disappeared under the bed.

"Demon poison, please hurry there isn't much time," She said, and he was sure he could almost hear tears in her voice. Magnus sighed heavily, but he wouldn't refuse her. She had been good about not pestering him over the years. He knew she would only call if it was a real emergency.

"I'll be right there."

* * *

**The first chapter is already being written, so I really hope you like this! **


	2. Waking Up, Wearing Down

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for positive feedback! At least now I know someone is going to read this! I am having just an obsession with it at the moment and can't stop writing. I really hope you all enjoy it and keep an open mind! Reviews and feedback are a must! Much Love (:**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Waking Up, Wearing Down**

_His dreams were filled with fire and howling. He kept seeing a young girl in a white dress, eyes over bright, with a long blonde braid swinging behind her. He could not get to her, and she kept screaming horribly. No matter how fast he ran he could not reach her, he could not save her. The flames were licking at his legs, and there was a snarling vibrant in his ears. If he could just run a little faster, if she would just turn and come to him. He could save her. _

Alec swam to consciousness slowly, over the course of days. He had small moments. Isabelle's worried face, the white beds of the Institute, the sound of Clary weeping, blue sparkles. He could feel someone watching him. There was a bright light playing behind his eyelids. He opened his eyes slowly, accosted by the light through the windows of the Infirmary. His throat was incredibly dry, and he tried slowly to remember how to work his arms so he could sit up. It seemed an incredible effort.

"Easy there," Came a voice he knew he should remember. There were cool hands on bare shoulders. "You probably shouldn't sit up just yet."

Green cat eyes danced into focus. Alec closed his own eyes again. "I'm still dreaming," He murmured. Alec could hear a short laugh, somehow it made him want to smile. It felt like a delicious memory.

"I'm flattered to be in your dreams Alexander." It was undoubtedly Magnus, and that dawned on Alec very slowly. It made his head hurt, and suddenly he wished to be back in his flaming nightmares again. He scrambled to remember what had happened. He saw images of Callista Starwell's mangled body, the red fiery eyes, Jace getting stung in the stomach. He had called Isabelle for help, and she must have panicked and called Magnus. It made sense really. Isabelle had a certain reputation as being a hardass, and she had trouble keeping her temper with most people, which didn't speak wonders for her social relationships. Of course she would call someone she knew, and someone she knew wouldn't refuse her. It seemed ridiculous that he was here however. Something about it just flared at his temper. He couldn't help it, he didn't know how to feel, and he didn't like being thrust into this out of nowhere. It was a moment he had thought about ten million times,_ seeing Magnus again_. He just wasn't enthralled about the circumstances that brought it about.

"What are you doing here?" Alec said thickly. His mouth felt like lead.

"You're lovely sister called me in a fit the other night. I had no idea I would turn up to find you and Jace thrashing like rabid dogs. It's just as much of a surprise to me," Magnus said, the strain in his voice audible. He dropped into a chair that was pulled up to the bedside. Alec opened his eyes again and looked over to the Warlock. He looked sullen in red jeans and a black v-neck. His hair hung limp in his face and he looked utterly exhausted. It tugged slightly at Alec's heart. He barely knew what to say.

"Water," Was the best thing he could manage.

Magnus smirked and reached to the bedside table. Alec could hear him pouring a glass of water, and then saw Magnus lean over him. There was a tiny flutter when he felt Magnus grab his hands, pressing the cool glass into it. He used his other hand to cradle the back of Alec's head, helping him to sit up enough to drink. Alec chugged the water down, letting it wash away the taste of ash that seemed to be lingering in his mouth. He gave the glass back to Magnus and leaned back against the pillows. Magnus just sat in his seat and there was a long silence.

The quiet was broken when he heard heels clacking on the floor. He turned his head to see his sister sweeping into the room. Her hair was pulled back tight, swaying as she walked, and for just a brief moment she looked incredibly like their mother. Clary wasn't far behind, looking sullen and anxious all at once.

"Thank the Angel you're awake. See Clary, everything is going to be okay," Isabelle had her protective voice on. She always wanted to shield people from pain, like she could take on all the responsibility of it. Like it was her duty. Clary didn't look very reassured, but it was clear that she was relieved to see that Alec was awake.

"What happened?" Alec asked, his mouth still felt heavy, but he was starting to come around more. Isabelle looked anxiously at Magnus for a second, then at Clary again before she would meet her brother's eye. The news wasn't going to be something that was going to lift his spirits.

"Magnus thinks you and Jace were attacked by a hellhound. When we got there we just found you and Callista Starwell's dead body. Clary and I rushed you back to the Institute, and" She paused for a second, looking over her shoulder and then back at Alec once more. "Jace still hasn't woken up. We thought the pair of you were dead."

"Also Gwendolyn Highland has gone missing, her family says that they haven't heard from her since the night of the attack," Clary put in.

Alec's head was spinning. What in the world was a hellhound doing in an abandoned home? They were protective demons. They were the ultimate guard dog, and could only be commanded by a greater demon or a warlock with enough power and control to risk something like that. In truth, Alec barely remembered his studies on the things and the various forms they came in.

"Hellhounds have handlers," Alec muttered.

"We've been looking into it Alec I promise. The Starwell's have been up my ass since it happened. They're barely grieving, they're just so angry and they linger around my office at all hours. It's driving me nuts. I've sent out all kinds of missive's inquiring about who could have the pull to have that kind of demon at their command," Isabelle told him. Clary stepped forward and kissed Alec on the forehead, trying her best to smile at him.

"I'm glad you're awake. Magnus said the two of you were strong enough to pull through. I have to head home now, I'm sure Vi is driving Maia insane," Clary said. She turned to Isabelle then. "I'll see you in the morning. And if he wakes up call me, I'll come straight over."

Isabelle hugged Clary tightly for a moment, and then she was gone. Alec looked at his sister, and she seemed studiously enraptured by the floor. Her eyes flicked up to him, and there was an apology there. She knew that Magnus would be the last person Alec would have expected to see, but she wasn't going to apologize for having called him. He saved Alec's life, and she was grateful for that. She was just sorry that she knew it was going to be quite a shock for her brother. Admittedly, she thought it was no big deal. She had wanted to do this years ago. She had tried her hardest to get the two of them back together back then. But Magnus had made it very clear he wanted to be left alone, having frequent lengthy stays overseas and a propensity for avoiding her, eventually she got the hint. Isabelle had gotten caught up in life years ago, training to run the Institute, and then her constant headache of now being the Head of it. So last night, when she heard Alec's pained voice through the phone, and knew her brother was in danger, the first person she thought to call was Magnus. Maybe it was a moment of suppressed nostalgia, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

"I'm tired," Alec pronounced, not wanting to deal with this all right now.

"Alright. Do you want me to stay?" Isabelle asked, making it clear that she would be moral support or guardian if needed. Alec just closed his eyes.

"No that's okay Iz," He told her. He felt her hand squeeze his shoulder, and then heard her retreating footsteps out of the Infirmary. It was quiet again, but Alec had not forgotten that Magnus was still there. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes.

"Are you just going to sit there?" He asked.

"I'm quite exhausted Alexander, is it so horrible for me to rest a moment?"

"Don't call me that," Alec said automatically. Then there was silence again. Alec could feel it pressing down on him. The need to say something to fill the huge gap that was between them right now. It was strange how much Magnus was exactly the same as he remembered him. It almost felt like no time had passed at all, like he was nineteen all over again. Though Alec himself was vastly different now than he had been, this moment felt familiar.

"I'll go if you wish," Magnus pronounced simply.

"How long have you been here?" Alec inquired rather than say anything about him leaving. Surely the healing had been done a while ago, why stay until he woke up?

Magnus was quiet for a bit. Then he said, "I first came to the Institute about a week ago."

"What have you been sleeping here?" Alec said sarcastically.

"No," Magnus replied flatly. "I've been checking up on you and Jace all week, it just so happens this time you woke up."

Alec looked to the chair where Magnus was sitting and wondered if that was true. There was a patchwork quilt hung over one side, and Alec wouldn't be surprised if Magnus had in fact been sleeping there, though he could not fathom why he would bother. The idea of him sleeping in that chair next to his bed gave him a sense of secret comfort however. He had forgotten what it was like to be around Magnus, that strange feeling he brought with him of someone who often felt like home. Right at this moment, Alec just wanted to have that to himself. He knew it wouldn't last, that the Warlock wouldn't stay for long, and that he was probably only here because Isabelle had asked it. But for now Alec felt like taking advantage of that.

"You can stay if you wish," Alec said sleepily, already starting to drift off. He heard no reply, and when he woke the next day he found that the chair and Warlock were already gone. Like it really had all been a dream. Alec sat up and looked around the Infirmary, as if he looked hard enough he would see Magnus hiding under one of the beds.

"What happened?" He heard asked. He looked to see Jace struggling up in bed. An instant stream of relief washed over him at knowing his parabatia was alright. Alec cracked half a smile at him.

"We got our asses kicked by a hellhound," Alec told him.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the initial attack, but things were falling back into their rhythm. Alec and Jace were both back home, and the world kept on turning. There was still little progress into finding out who had unleashed the hellhound, and Gwen Highland was still missing, but things were normal again. Alec also hadn't heard from Magnus since the Infirmary.

It wasn't like he expected to return to his apartment and find flowers on his doorstep, but he found a sense of emptiness when he thought about it. He found that it was slowly driving him absolutely insane. He had coaxed Magnus's new number out of Isabelle, and had dialed it into his phone about 300 hundred times without ever hitting the call button. He then remembered that he still had a box around here somewhere from his days when he had dated Magnus. It was filled with old pictures and books, a couple of sweaters that had been gifts, and if Alec remembered correctly, a collection of poetry Magnus had wrote for him that had been supremely awful and dearly cherished. When he couldn't find the box things started getting thrown into walls and tables started getting kicked over.

There was a quick rap on the door and Alec stalked over to it, throwing the door open wide, sending it crashing into the wall harshly. Clary stood in the doorway, wide eyed and plainly worried. She poked her head into Alec's apartment and gave it a quick once over.

"With all the noise I half expected to find a demon tearing you apart up here," Clary said. She held out a plate that was covered in tinfoil. Alec took it and tried his best not to scowl. He stood aside so Clary could walk in, before leading the way to the small kitchen and setting the food inside the microwave for now.

Alec, Jace, and Clary all lived in the same building. It was a cozy triplex, Jace and Clary on the first floor with Violet, Alec on the second floor, and the third floor was converted into a training area. Alec was usually a very quiet upstairs neighbor, rarely having to cause Clary to come up to shush him, but she did make it a habit of bringing him dinner every night if he failed to come over and have a meal with them instead. It was a welcome arrangement and Clary turned out to be one hell of a cook.

"Sorry about the noise," Alec said, pulling out a glass and filling it with water. Clary glanced into the apartment and noticed the mess that Alec had made of it this afternoon. The place was usually quite cluttered, it had too many books and papers strewn about regularly, always giving Jace a complex about stepping foot in here. Today though the kitchen table was lying upturned, the closets appeared to have exploded outwards, and the hope chest Isabelle had gotten Alec for Christmas last year had all of its contents spilled on the floor.

"Spring cleaning?" Clary mused, but there was a slight worry to her face. Maybe it was her maternal instincts, but Alec had always thought that Clary worried about him too much.

"I was just looking for something and lost my temper," Alec explained.

"I could help if you want, Jace took Violet to the park. They probably won't be back for a couple of hours," She said, helping herself to a glass of water as well. "What were you looking for?"

"Just a box of old stuff. It's not really important," Alec told her. Clary wasn't one to be fooled though and she could obviously see that something was bothering him. She always picked up on things like that these days. As well, she could quite plainly tell that if it was something that would make him wreck his home to look for, than it had importance to it.

"Is this about Magnus?" She asked bluntly, making Alec choke on his water for a second.

"Why would you say that?" He asked more sharply than he meant to.

Clary shrugged her shoulders, but there was a smile on her lips. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out Alec. You've been acting weird since you've seen him. There has been depressing music playing in the middle of the night, you wrecked your apartment quite soundly today, and not to mention I hear you pacing constantly."

Sometimes Clary was too smart for her own good. He should have known she would see right through him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which was getting much too long these days. He could just tell Clary the truth, he didn't have to fight every battle himself, even though that was the tried and true Alec Lightwood way. Clary was understanding though, and while with Jace he might expect to get laughed at, and Isabelle to pry too far, he knew that Clary would give just the right amount of support. She was the constant between the two extremes in his life.

"I've thought about calling him, but every time I try to dial I just have this overwhelming voice in my head telling me it's worthless," He admitted, turning to face her while leaning back on the counter. Her eyes softened and she shook her head.

"The two of you I swear!" She said, pulling the plate she had brought out of the microwave and uncovering it. It was grilled chicken, asparagus, and cornbread. She grabbed a piece of asparagus and bit off a little chunk.

"What about the two of us?" Alec asked, quickly swiping the cornbread off of the plate. Clary just rolled her eyes.

"You know I still see him sometimes right?" Clary asked, answering his question with a question. Of course he knew that Clary still occasionally visited Magnus, but he had always made it a personal rule not to ask her about it. After all if Magnus had been wondering about Alec, or wanted to know how he had been doing than he would have asked.

"I'm aware," Alec said through a mouthful of food.

"Are you aware of how many times I've been there and he's found some way to talk circles around me till I found myself telling him all about how you've been doing? It's ridiculous. I've been waiting years for the pair of you to pull heads out of asses and break the silence. Isabelle made a bet with me that it wouldn't be till my third kid. She had the absolute highest respect for your stubbornness. I had a little more faith in you, but soon I'm going to throw my lot in with her. "

This was all news to Alec. Could it really be true? Did Magnus ask about him when he saw Clary? Why had she not told him of this before? Oh right, because every time someone mentioned Magnus in Alec's presence he left the room, or turned pale, even occasionally throwing things at Jace who used to make a game of it. The Warlock was most definitely the love of Alec's life, but that love was long lost, and ruined by his own hand. He had never fallen in love since, by the Angel he had never even dated anybody since. Sure there was an occasional fling here and there, but Alec almost always regretted it. He had chosen to throw himself into his work over the years instead, now a very respected shadowhunter. He wondered if the years had been wasted, that perhaps he could have done something more meaningful with his life than train to become better at a job he never had chosen for himself.

"Alec? You missed that whole thing didn't you?"

"What?" He said stupidly, eyes focusing back on Clary, who seemed to be getting ready to leave. She smiled and reached up affectionately to ruffle his hair.

"Izzy just texted me, she wants me to come help with new arrivals at the Institute. I've never seen that place more alive and thriving than when Isabelle is in a mood. I better go help before she whips me silly. You going to be okay?" Clary asked, still a concerned expression on her face.

"Yeah, thanks for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow," He said and went to walk her out. At the door Clary paused and turned back to him, throwing her hands around his waist in a hug. She might be tiny but she was strong! Alec squeezed her back and then looked down at her in confusion. Clary was definitely the most affectionate in their family, but she didn't randomly hug Alec without warning usually.

"Just call him okay? I promise you won't regret it," And with that she was gone, leaving Alec staring down at his phone screen, stomach twisting in anticipation.

* * *

**Already working on the third chapter because I'm not lying when I say I'm obsessed. Reviews please? **


	3. Hush

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: This is the chapter where that M rating starts to come into play! I made some risky choices this chapter that I thoroughly hope you enjoy and if not please don't get angry and write me hate because then the story will die because I am a wee sensitive lass, and you'll ruin the fun for everyone! Also remember to review! Reviews keep me young and vibrant, they also help me shape the story and give me more gusto! SO REVIEW MY LITTLE BABIES I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Hush **

"Again!" Isabelle chided, placing a hand on Molly's shoulders, squaring them. Molly was only thirteen, but at that age Iz had already been able to handle most weapons better than her brothers, well at least better than Alec. She knew that Molly was in mourning, she had just lost her older sister, but moping around Isabelle's office all day wasn't going to help the poor girl. So eventually Iz got angry enough to tell the girl to get lost, when she saw tears she knew she needed to switch tactics. She painfully understood what it was like to lose a sibling, and she knew that taking the girl's mind off of it was the best she could do for now. That mixed with the new boy from Idris who showed up this evening, was a perfect excuse for being in the training room.

"Don't get too tense," Clary said moving a little closer. "If you grip the spear too tightly while blocking, it will be torture on your hands. I know it sounds stupid but you have to be loose and firm at the same time."

Molly actually smiled, making Isabelle's heart feel lighter. Clary was always better with being gentle on the trainees, Izzy usually made them want to run for cover. Though not many shadowhunters stayed long term at the Institute, there was a rather large number that passed through here over her short years as Head, and if she had anything to do about it many more would. She wanted to bring pride back to this old place. It was her home, and home to all Nephilim. Sometimes they needed to be reminded of that.

"Alright Zeke try another blow, Molly don't hold your breath. Deep even breathing," Clary said. Isabelle watched as Zeke Goldenlake swung down his spear again. He was almost the same age as Molly, maybe one or two years younger. Isabelle knew that he was here because his mother had died. In a few weeks his uncle would be returning to New York from a trip to Japan, and he would take Zeke. He was just another passer through but Isabelle was glad to have him. At least Molly had someone her own age around. Her parents, Lydia and Troy Starwell, weren't paying very much attention to their younger daughter, all they could do was focus on the elder who was dead and gone. It was sad to watch death tear family open like that, but that was what life was like for shadowhunters. Your grief and pain started young, and lasted and multiplied through the years till you were nothing more than ashes.

The spears clacked together, but Molly's face looked triumphant for a moment. No fingers had been smashed, and neither of them dropped their weapons. Isabelle would like to significantly upgrade their training, what good would it do either of them if they were attacked and they were still excited about being able to keep a basic grip? Their parents should feel ashamed.

"Alright guys go practice your archery, we'll be right behind you," Clary said, taking the weapons from the two of them. Zeke looked like he didn't want to train anymore, but he followed Molly anyways. Clary hoped it would be good for them, to exert themselves physically and forget about emotions for a while.

"I think Molly is either in love with you or terrified of you," Clary told Isabelle when the kids were out of earshot. Izzy smirked and quirked a brow.

"That's my usual effect. That girl needs more discipline in her training if she wants to be able to fight demons in a few years," Isabelle told her, eyes very serious.

"You are never allowed to train Violet," Clary said firmly. The two looked at each other and laughed. It was a joke between them that Isabelle was going to kidnap her and start training her when she turned six. Jace never helped, always telling Isabelle that any daughter of his could start training at five, probably could have started training when she had been two. Clary loved them dearly but she wouldn't ever tell them how personally horrifying she found that idea. It was a joke sure, but Clary was protective.

They walked up behind Zeke and Molly, lifting an elbow or shifting a shaky stance. Molly was actually a natural hand with the bow, making it not too difficult to watch. Zeke was dreadful, but it was clear that seeing Molly do well was pushing him to try harder. They only stayed in the room for twenty more minutes before Isabelle dismissed them, the children all but running from the room, lest they had to do some other kind of physical work.

"I should get home, Jace probably set it on fire by now," Clary said, gathering her bag and walking with Isabelle to the elevators.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Iz replied.

"So why did you do it?" Clary asked as she waited for the elevator to come up.

"Do what?"

"Call Magnus," Clary said simply.

"Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn, I would trust no other with my brother's health."

"Liar," Clary muttered. Isabelle pretended to look affronted, but didn't do a very good job of it. When she realized Clary already guessed something was up she dropped the act.

"Stop calling me on my shit all the time. It gets tiresome," Isabelle said to her. Clary laughed.

"I'm your parabatai, I think it's part of my job." It had been Isabelle who had taken over Clary's training when Jace and Alec would throw themselves into work. It was more relaxing for Clary, and she could focus better around Izzy, because Jace was always a constant distraction for her, and he would get frustrated when he thought she wasn't taking things seriously. Isabelle had taking the training in strides, surprisingly patient and incredibly passionate. They had grown close over the years, Clary being one of the only girls that Isabelle even liked. It had been Izzy who taught her how to use her small frame to her advantage, how to trick her enemies in a fight, the arts of illusion, and of course how to kick ass in heels when the occasion called for it. They formed a natural bond, that only increased when they were fighting side by side.

"No your job is to watch my ass in battle half pint," Isabelle said affectionately, and pulled on one of Clary's stray curls.

"You're avoiding my question. There could have been half a dozen Warlocks you could have called, and you just so happened to dial for your brother's ex? Alec is never going to forgive you."

"He doesn't have to forgive me! He should thank me! Plus, have you seen the recent girl Magnus has been traipsing around with? I mean can you even count her as a fairy? She's hideous," Isabelle said and pouted.

"Elisia was quite pretty, but they had a falling out," Clary told her, but she could tell by the look on Izzy's face that the other girl already knew that. "So that's why you called him? He just so happened to be stateside and single so you come swooping in like Yenta Isabelle?"

"I don't know if you're using that word correctly but once again you figured out my schemes. Alec has just been so miserable lately, and I have always thought that if he and Magnus just had their last falling out or made some kind of peace he would get over it. I know it's been years, I just don't think Alec ever moved on," Isabelle said sadly. Clary knew that she just wanted her brother to be happy, they all did. Though this felt more like opening an old wound, rather than to help him find happiness.

"Izzy, Magnus was Alec's first everything. First love, first serious boyfriend, probably a first on a lot of things I don't care to mention, so he will never just get over him. There were times when I thought for sure they would both just forgive and forget, but they are a regular pair of stubborn asses," Clary noted as the doors to the elevator opened. She stepped inside and looked back at Isabelle.

"Well if they don't get back together I'm going to kill one of them, and you can guess which one that might be!" Isabelle exasperated, throwing her hands into the air. The doors started to close and Clary laughed.

"I'm not at all sure I can guess."

* * *

Alec decided to clean up his home after Clary left, his anger having completely evaporated. Maybe it was just an excuse to put off the phone call, or a distraction from doing it all together, he wasn't sure. After that he sat in his kitchen and stared at the wall for an hour, and after that the Jack came out and he started drinking. Eventually it led to a phone call with a confused Warlock who consented to come over. It was a strange and awkward conversation, but the bottom line was that Magnus was on his way, and Alec wasn't so sure this was the smartest plan.

He was sitting in the dark in the living room, Jack Daniels bottle still sitting open in front of him, with the lights from the streets through the blinds being the only illumination. Alec ran a hand through his hair, and nearly jumped out of his skin when the buzzer went off, twice long and once short. He leapt to his feet and was across the apartment to the door quickly. He then stood there and stared at it, briefly considered not answering it, and then called out dumbly.

"Who is it?"

"Expecting an orgy?" came the snarky remark from the other side. It angered Alec enough to fling the door open, revealing Magnus in all his glory. He was wearing designer jeans and a paisley vest over a bright green button down. It was actual one of the more sober of his outfits. Alec didn't mean to just keep staring, taking him all in like that. He was still taller than him, and graceful and beautiful as a cat. Alec knew he was immortal but it still did something to him to see Magnus so unchanged.

"Are you going to let me in?" Magnus asked, breaking through to Alec, who just nodded and stood aside for the other man to enter. Magnus passed him slowly, looking into the dark apartment.

"Oh yeah," Alec said, for he truly had forgotten to turn on the lights. He reached a switch behind him and turned it on, blinding himself for a second. He then shut and locked the door out of habit before stepping into the living room, where Magnus was perusing one of the many book shelves.

"Partying without me?" Magnus asked and tilted his head towards the open bottle on the table. Alec said nothing. "You always were the life of the party Alec."

The silence seemed to stretch on into infinity. Magnus seemed to have no more sass to him at the moment. It all got sucked out of him the more he examined Alec. He remembered him in the Infirmary, sweating and thrashing, covered in blood. It was quite a different thing to see him upright. It twisted his heart, because it barely looked like the Alec he remembered. There was something about him, distinctly more distant and proud. No doubt a true Nephilim now, no time for much else. Where a tentative boy had once been, a man stood now, with walls that Magnus could almost literally see. This Alec seemed closed off, a far cry from the loving boy that was burned into Magnus's memory. It had only been eight years…

From somewhere deeper inside the apartment a phone rang. Alec only looked at Magnus before leaving to answer it, leaving the Warlock there staring after him. He could hear the other man's muffled voice from somewhere farther way, and turned back to the shelves of books. They were overstuffed, with a few pictures in frames balanced carefully on the very ledges of the shelf space. There was one of Alec sitting in front of the Institute, Jace and Isabelle behind him shouting at each other. Then there was another of Clary holding a baby and smiling, and even one of Church being hugged by a small child Magnus didn't quite recognize. It was a small white corner poking out of a weathered copy of 'Atlas Shrugged' that made Magnus stop short however. He pulled the book out and opened it, and saw that there was another photo nestled in the pages.

It was Magnus, sitting on a rather unsightly orange couch in his flat. Alec was asleep in his lap, legs sprawled out lengthwise with Chairman Meow perched on one of the arms of the couch. He remembered the moment quite vividly, and turning the photo over only confirmed it. There was a little note scrawled there, 'I swear I was just taking a picture of the cat, but the moment was too grossly cute to pass up. –Love Iz'

"Sorry it's a little disorganized," Alec's voice said from behind him. Magnus slapped the book shut quickly, picture inside, and returned it to the shelf.

""Quite alright," Magnus replied, sounding and feeling oddly formal. There was that hellish silence again. An eight year silence that threatened to devour him right there. He looked up and caught Alec's eye finally, locking him there. It seemed to be against his will that he suddenly found himself striding across the room. The worst that could happen, well honestly he didn't know where Alec's strength stood nowadays, so the worst that could happen could be very bad indeed. Right now he was willing to risk it. Grabbing the front of Alec's shirt and pulling him towards him, crashing his mouth down on his like a tidal wave.

Alec tasted the same, which ironically was something that at the moment blew his mind. It brought him back to so many nights at the loft, twisted in sheets and watching the sun rise, making Alec's blue eyes look luminescent in the glow. Magnus had always thought Alec was beautiful, and the years didn't take that from him, they just seemed to have hardened his features slightly. Magnus felt teeth tugging at his lower lip, and a hand grabbing his waist and pulling him closer. He groaned deep in his throat as he felt their bodies press together, and backed Alec up to the wall, pinning him there.

"Alec I," He tried to say when they broke for breath, but Alec silenced him with his mouth, kissing Magus more deeply, and pulling him so tight against him that there was no space. He could all too literally feel Alec getting excited, which only made him want this more, almost blindly, desperately. When he felt Alec's hand reach the fly to his jeans though, he grabbed it to stop him, even when the agreeable shutter that ran through him was telling him not to. "Alec," He said again.

Alec just looked at him sharply and pulled the shoulders of Magnus's vest till it came off, and disregarded it on the floor. "I'd prefer it if you didn't say anything," He told him, grabbing the Warlock's shirtfront and forcing him to take a couple steps back, before using his other hands to rip the shirt open, sending buttons clamoring to the floor. Magnus barely spared a second thought to the ruin of his shirt, it was all chalked up to desire now. He wanted this, he wanted Alec to take charge, and he could already tell there would be no stopping now. In this moment he didn't care about all the words that needed to be said, this was comfort enough. So he didn't say anything, just fixed Alec with a sultry glance and dropped to his knees, gasping pleasurably when Alec pulled Magnus's hair back and started undoing the buckle on his own jeans.

* * *

"Who are you?" Asked a little voice from somewhere by his knees. Magnus looked down onto a golden curly head and round accusing eyes. He had almost mauled over a small child in his early morning escape from Alec's apartment. His shirt was hanging open, he had not bothered to mend it himself, and he was pretty sure he decidedly did not want to know what state his hair could possibly be in. Last night had been a hot sweaty blur, and he needed to get home to think, but now he had his escape route blocked. He looked around and noticed papers were littering the first story landing and there were crayons everywhere.

"You must be Violet," Magnus said, crouching down to be on eye level with her. She let out a tiny squeal of delight when she looked at him.

"You're eyes are so pretty! They're just like Poppy's!" She exclaimed.

"Who is poppy?" Magnus inquired, but was already quite charmed with the girl, and he didn't necessarily always have the patience for children. Leave it up to flattery to warm his heart.

"My cat! Mama got her for my birthday," She said, twisting back and forth.

"When was your birthday?" Magnus asked her. Her face scrunched up in thought for a second.

"Uhm…yesterday. Why weren't you there?" She asked accusingly, and put a tiny hand on her hip. Magnus laughed outright at this, but stopped short and straightened up when the door to the first floor apartment opened, another blonde head peeking out.

"Magnus?" Jace asked clearly not expecting to see him there. He then looked up the stairs and back to Magnus, did it again, and then winked. "C'mon Vi you know you shouldn't be out here by yourself. Are you trying to get daddy in trouble?"

"She was scolding me for not attending her birthday party," Magnus supplied in way of defense.

"Her birthday was six months ago," Jace said and just shook his head.

"Oh!" Violet exclaimed and then skipped towards the door. On her way past Jace she tapped him on the knee and looked up at him. "Clean that up okay daddy?" She told him before disappearing into the apartment.

"These women in my life are going to kill me," Jace pronounced. "You don't got worry about that anymore huh Magnus?"

"I'm leaving now," Magnus said, and walked towards the door, pushing it open and ignoring Jace. He might have had a smile on his face, one that turned to a laugh when he heard Jace calling out after him.

"I'm telling Isabelle!"

* * *

**sex sex sex sex LEAVE ME A REVIEW!**

**Oh so what did y'all think of Violet? I promise more plot things will develop soon but just don't mind or choke on my copious amounts of fluff! Much Love! The next chapter is pretty much done again, but I still need your lovely support to feed my insatiable ego! **


	4. The Lost is Found

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it.**

**Author's Note: Just a heads up apology for this chapter just being really full of plot, slight family humor, but little of Magnus. He will be back next chapter and there will be lots of angsty overromantic fluff, but I have to get this plot rolling sweet children! Don't forget to do the charitable thing today and review, help needy writers! Love you!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3:The Lost is Found  
**

It had been a quiet day. Isabelle seemed to have everything under control today and hadn't called, which was odd because usually Clary woke up to at least 3 missed calls from her. She heard little noise from Alec's apartment, which probably meant he wasn't home, and Violet had only thrown one tantrum. It was over all uneventful, so she might have went a little overboard and made an enormous dinner, stuffed peppers, rigatoni, garlic bread and strawberry shortcake.

"You planning on feeding the neighborhood?" She heard Jace ask.

"Don't pick at that," She said, knowing that Jace was already taking strawberries off the cake. She looked up at him in accusation as he already had one halfway to his mouth. He grinned devilishly and plopped it in. "We're having guests," She warned him.

"What kind of guests?" Jace asked, looking mostly like he didn't like the idea.

"I texted Izzy and Alec, I thought family dinner would be a nice change."

They then heard the doorbell buzz, and an ecstatic cry of a four year old, followed by the patter of little feet running through the apartment. "I got it!" Violet's voice called out. There was silence for a second before she screeched out. "Daddy I can't reach the lock!"

Jace blew his wife a kiss and went out to help his daughter open the door. Clary knew it was Isabelle just by the sound of her walk, and sure enough she appeared a moment later in the doorway, Violet balance on a hip.

"You're going to spoil her rotten Iz," Jace said before grabbing the plates out of the cupboard. Clary had already began putting the food on the table.

"Of course I am! She may be the only niece I get if you two don't start having more babies!" Isabelle exclaimed, hugging Violet tight till their faces squished side by side and the child was overcome with laughter.

"Believe me I keep trying," Jace said fixing his wife with a saucy look. Clary simply rolled her eyes and went to answer the door again when the buzzer went off. She came back with Alec in tow and they all sat down at the table.

The meal was awkward at first, just the sounds of silverware clacking on plates, and Violet blowing bubbles in her milk. Jace was staring intently over the table at Alec, who was doing an amazing job of ignoring him. Isabelle in turn started tapping her nails impatiently on the table till Clary almost wanted to explode.

"So how was your night Alec?" Jace asked, less obvious than the Cheshire Cat. Alec looked up then and around at all the expectant faces staring back at him, save for his niece who rarely paid attention to what the grown-ups were saying, though she did seem to always pick up the collective mannerisms of the family.

"What are you on about?" Alec asked glaring at his parabatai.

"You just look like you had a really good night. You're practically _sparkling_," Jace supplied, wiggling his eyebrows.

"By the Angel Jace, can't you just be mature for once in your life," Alec snapped, already knowing what Jace was hinting at, he must have seen Magnus leave or something, but Alec was not going to talk about this in front of the lot of them.

"Why should I do that? Sucks all the fun right out of my day."

"Leave him alone," Clary warned. Alec just narrowed his eyes, so clearly Jace wasn't the only one who knew. The way Isabelle was grinning he expected she knew as well.

"Who all did you tell? You had no damn right!" Alec snapped, startling Violet.

"Stop it both of you!" Clary hissed. "You do realize that I have an impressionable four year old daughter that picks up very quickly on bad language, right?"

"Sorry Clary," Alec muttered.

"I don't know why you're so upset, we're all just excited you and Magnus are back together. Don't kill us for being happy," Isabelle said.

"We're not back together. It was just a one time thing," Alec told them. Isabelle scowled, Clary looked sympathetic, and Jace pushed his plate to the side and slammed his head into the table, making Violet explode in laughter.

"Oh c'mon!" He said into the wood. He then looked up and put on his best pleading face. "We will give you our first born son if you just do it already!"

"I think we've established they've already done it," Isabelle slipped in, making her and Jace try to unsuccessfully smother their laughter. Alec stood suddenly and pushed away from the table, thanking them for the dinner and walking out. It was silent for a long time after that.

"What's up his ass?" Jace asked, earning himself a strong ear pulling from Clary.

"Magnus," Isabelle said without missing a beat, stunning them all for a second before the three of them erupted in laughter, though Clary was making a mental note of who was and wasn't allowed to speak at the dinner table in front of her daughter again.

* * *

"Alec don't be mad at me," Izzy said from the other line. Alec was lying on his unmade bed, which still smelled sweetly of warlock and sex. He decided he didn't regret last night, but that it wasn't allowed to happen again, because when he awoke this morning to find Magnus gone, there had been such a hollow feeling of pain and loss that Alec knew he would rather just not deal with it at all. In truth he wasn't mad at Isabelle, he had been originally for the simple fact that it was her fault Magnus was back in his life, however briefly, and completely undoing him. Though his anger never stayed long with his sister, and he knew that dinner had just been a normal thing for his family, and he was used to being teased by Jace and Iz. They were younger siblings so it was their solemn duty.

"I'm not mad," He insisted for the third time in a row. A sharp ringing pierced through the phone making Alec drop it, he picked it up quickly. "Iz?" He asked into it, only hearing a bunch of shouting through the other end. He said his sister's name a few more times before panic rose up in his chest. He tried to squelch it by reminding himself that Isabelle lived in arguably the safest place in New York.

"Alec I need you here, bring Jace," He finally heard Isabelle shout into the phone, and then the line was cut off. Twenty minutes later Jace and he were clamoring up the elevator at the Institute. Alec was getting nervous, not knowing what to expect, but so far there was no signs of an attack, nothing out of the usual at all. When the doors popped open they were even greeted by Church.

"Where's Izzy?" Jace asked the cat, and they followed him towards the library. The closer they got the more shouting they heard, Alec could only really pick out Isabelle's commanding tones. Jace and Alec exchanged a look before sweeping into the library. Neither one of them was much ready for the scene before him. They had expected some kind of danger, but only found a bunch of people arguing and shouting so loudly over each other that it could only be counterproductive.

There was a girl crying in the corner, head down and black curls hiding here face. The Starwell's were both screaming at Isabelle who looked ready to whip them in about a second, and Jace saw two younger kids peeking down from the gallery. There was also a mountainous man with a thick black ponytail that seemed to be yelling something in Italian. The two men just stood there in shock for a second, before Jace told Alec to go check on the girl in the corner and he would go rein in Iz. Alec would rather not have been stuck with the weeper, but did as he was told anyways.

He crouched down next to the girl and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked her. She looked up at him slowly, brown eyes overflowing with tears. He recognized her then, it was Gwen, the girl that had been missing and was Callista Starwell's parabatai. She looked significantly thinner than the last time he saw her, and there was a new scar down the side of her face, looking like she had perhaps been swiped by that hellhound. When she saw Alec she threw her arms around him and almost knocked him over, crying loudly into his shoulder. He tried to soothe her, patting down her hair and keeping a hand pressed between her shoulder blades, but it didn't seem to be helping, Gwen seemed borderline hysterical. It wasn't until several minutes later that he noticed the screaming from the other adults had finally subsided.

"She wouldn't tell us a damn thing," Troy Starwell said, the anger clear in his voice.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have seized her and dragged her kicking and screaming into my office," Isabelle remarked, fixing him with an intensely cold glare. Izzy had never liked Mr and Mrs Starwell, they were close minded and haughty, but their daughters had always been quite pleasant and she had overlooked their behavior for years out of friendship to Callista.

"She was supposed to be there protecting my daughter, and now she won't even tell us how she died!" Lydia screamed, angry tears pouring down her face. The large Italian man took a step towards her, making her hide behind her husband.

"The two of you need to go, we'll talk to Callista and let you know everything you need to know," Isabelle said, trying to dismiss the Starwell's. Neither of them seemed inclined to move, and it was clear they were about to drop back to square one before Jace stepped next to Isabelle.

"Leave. Can't you see you are frightening the girl? Quite frankly you're also making me very angry, and that won't end well for you."

"Is that a threat?" Troy asked, sizing Jace up. He was taller than Jace, but clearly not as well muscled, and most definitely not as well trained.

"It's an aggressive warning, do I need to make it a threat?" Jace asked. The Starwell's exchanged glances, but eventually decided it was best to go. The look that was in their eyes on the way out of the library held so much hate, Alec could feel it like a trail of smoke they left in their wake. When they were gone though, Alec managed to coalesce Gwen into getting up and moving to the couch. Once she was seated the large man sat next to her and put his arm about her shoulder, and she sank into his side gratefully. It was then that Alec recalled this was her father, Marc, he was pretty sure his name was.

"Gwen I need you to tell us what happened to you, anything at all you can remember," Isabelle said, talking as gently as she could. Gwen looked up at her but said nothing, she just kept clutching at her chest, almost absentmindedly, and cried softly against her father. When she was quiet for too long Alec could tell that his sister was losing patience and if he didn't step in was afraid Iz would grab the younger girl by the ears and start shaking her.

"Gwen don't be afraid," Alec told her softly, crouching down in front of her. "You need to be strong, strong like Callista was. We need to find the demon responsible for this and make it suffer, we cannot do that without your help."

The girl was still silent, and it seemed that maybe the best option would just be to let her rest for now, but when Alec stood he heard a quiet voice. "I felt it you know. The moment she died I knew it was supposed to be me. She pushed me through and saved my life and I left her behind to die. If I was a better shadowhunter then Calli would still be alive."

"Please tell us," Alec asked again softly. Gwen wiped her eyes on her sleeves and then looked up to her father as if for reassurance. He squeezed her shoulder for moral support, and she took a deep breath to tell her story.

"We saw this steady glowing light in an abandoned house. I thought nothing of it at first, but Calli walked up on the porch, pulling out her sensor which was going crazy. We walked in and knew that whatever was in there had to be on the third story, but we searched the place just the same. I could feel something watching me, could feel it's breath on my neck but Calli told me it was just my imagination. We weren't even half the way up the third flight of stairs when we heard the howling. I was afraid, I wanted to go back, telling her that maybe we should call for more help, but Calli has always been too fearless, too reckless. She went ahead of me anyways, and I had to follow her. When we reached the top, the only thing I remember was looking down the long hallway into a pair of flaming red eyes. I couldn't even make out a body. I had never seen a demon like that before. Something was glowing behind it, like it was protecting something. I didn't have time to think about it till it charged at us. We fought it well enough for a while but it was too strong. It grabbed Calli by the face and drug her into the room. I ran behind screaming, trying to hack the thing to bits, but it stung me, making my arms feel like flames," She stopped, breathing heavy with sweat appearing on her forehead. There were clearly tears ready to spill over again.

"Go on," Alec urged gently, placing a hand on her knee.

"It was protecting a portal, one that was recently come through and fading. I tried to get to Calli when the demon pulled it's head back to howl, but she shoved me hard and told me to run, I tripped backwards and fell into the portal. Next thing I knew I woke up in France."

"That's all you remember? Gwen the tinniest details can help us find the demon," Alec told her.

"There was a woman there I'm sure. I didn't see her in the room, but I heard her. She told the demon to put Callista down, and was scolding it for attacking a Nephilim."

"Well you were right Alec, the thing has a handler," Isabelle said. She didn't look any easier after the story had been told, there wasn't much to go on from it, but there was the small counted miracle that Gwen was still alive.

"Great so now we're looking for a woman with a hound, the prior of whom we don't even know the looks of. The Starwell's needn't have gotten so worked up, the tale hardly told us anything we didn't already know or guess at," Jace put out. Alec turned and fixed him with a glare.

"At least now we know we're looking for a woman, possibly French, and most likely a warlock. It's farther into it then we were yesterday," Alec reminded him.

"Thank you for telling us Gwen, why don't you run and get some rest, I'll make sure the Starwell's don't bother you and your father," Isabelle said reassuring her, and walking the Highland's to the door. When she came back Jace and Alec were both sitting on the couch, looking similarly caught in thought.

"Well I think our best bet is to retrace out steps and see if we missed something that can connect all this random shit. Jace should go back to the house and look for clues that we might not have seen originally, I'll keep the Highland's and the Starwell's from killing each other, and Alec can go talk to Magnus," Isabelle said, plopping into the chair behind the desk that had been there practically forever. The chair was new however, and pink, but Isabelle would hear nothing of it being gaudy or unprofessional.

Alec openly balked. "Why do I have to talk to talk to Magnus? How is that going to help anything?"

"Magnus is an 800 year old warlock, you don't think that perhaps he would know a female French warlock that had enough power to control a hellhound? It makes the most sense for you to go, I'm needed here and I already gave Jace his duty," Isabelle said, not meeting her brother's eye.

"I would go bat my eyes at him and get the info, but he seems strangely resilient to my charms. It must be some higher form of magic," Jace said, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. He gave Alec a wink before walking out of the library. Alec stood slowly and went to the desk where Isabelle sat. He leaned over it till his face was close to hers.

"I lied Izzy, I am very very mad at you."

* * *

**Short sweet plotty chapter, I will be able to post the next one perhaps tomorrow if I have the inspiration. You know what to do loves, REVIEW!**


	5. Along the Way

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Finally Magnus and Alec make steps forward, mushy thoughts and such too. Also the villains are starting to make appearances and some plot things. Enjoy! Two days in a row, I spoil you! So spoil me and review!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Along the Way  
**

The last time Alec had been to Magnus's loft, he had a key to get in. Now he just stood outside, knocking impatiently and trying to shout over the loud music that was playing from inside. The warlock hadn't answered his phone, and now he wasn't answering the door either, when he was clearly home. Alec thought briefly of setting off the sprinkler system outside in the hall, it would undoubtedly flood this floor, but then the door swung open and Magnus appeared on the threshold, a tall woman with shockingly white hair was being shown out. Magnus momentarily looked like a dear caught in the headlights, but he recovered quickly enough.

"Alec, is everything alright?" He asked, poking his head out of the door and inspecting the stairs as if perhaps Alec had brought an army with him. The woman shouldered past the two of them and said nothing. Alec wasn't sure if he had imagined the angry way she was looking at him.

"Thanks Magnus," She said simply before disappearing down the stairs. Magnus just waved at her vaguely, his eyes were glued on Alec, who in turn had his glued to his boots.

"Isabelle sent me, we think we might have a lead into the hellhound thing. Can I come in?" Alec asked, even though he supremely did not want to. He was already having nostalgic moments here in the hall, what would going into the loft do to him? Once it was like a second home to him, only better because he could always be alone with Magnus here, never having to worry about teasing or prying or disappointment from his family. Now it was just another place Alec had no business in anymore.

"Of course," Magnus said and moved aside to let Alec past. There was a brief moment where their hands brushed, sending imagery from the other night into both of them like a projector to a screen. The Warlock shook the thoughts off and shut the door behind Alec. The shadowhunter was standing in the middle of the living space, openly staring at the walls. Magnus had just recently decided he liked them fuchsia.

"So what lead did you find?" Magnus asked, hooking a thumb in his pocket and looking to Alec. He wasn't going to get any closer. Right at this moment Alec seemed a million miles away, and both of his fists were clenched. They weren't going to get in a fist fight right? Because Magnus was severely against the idea unless it ended in glitter and sex.

Alec didn't look back to Magnus, he was too busy being attacked by memories that were coming back so strongly, he felt like he was living them all over again right now. The loft had changed a bit, there was actual furniture in it today, and the walls were a different color, but somehow it was explicitly the same, all down to Chairman Meow sitting on the island and surveying everything.

"You kept it," Alec said. At first Magnus did not know what he meant, but then he saw that Alec was looking at a hand drawn picture of Chairman Meow that hung by the archway before the hall. Alec had drawn it pretty early in their relationship, and it had been one of his first gifts to the warlock, who secretly treasured it and would most likely never take it down. Besides the likeness was pretty uncanny.

"It's Chairman Meow's favorite picture, I could never throw it away," Magnus told him. He noticed Alec still didn't seem to be getting to his point of why he had come. Did Isabelle really send him? Was he here to talk about the other night? Was he having a panic attack? His shoulders were heaving quite rapidly. Magnus strode over to him and turned him a bit to get a better look at him. He was laughing, which struck the warlock as odd.

"What's so funny?"

"Everything is just so…" He trailed off then, and all the humor was wiped from his face. Magnus of course did not know that Alec was trying very hard to keep himself under control. He felt so alien here, and every emotion he had so long suppressed was bubbling to the surface with a horrifying reality. _He was still in love with Magnus._ He wanted so badly to take the familiar tread to the bedroom, to lie down there forever and bask in the glow of the love that he had blindly, yet almost intentionally destroyed. He wanted to hear Magnus singing off key in the shower, curl up with a book in the study and just sit contented for hours with a companionable silence; he wanted every moment back that was beautiful, even the horrible ones would do. Seeing everything the same, familiar and wonderful, made Alec realize just how much he never got over being the one who single handedly took from his self, everything that ever made him happy. He of course put the emotion back into his broken places and remembered he was here to do a job.

"Nevermind. Gwen Highland was found," Alec said, taking a deep breath. He did however notice the look of confusion Magnus wore, but he chose to ignore it. "She told us that the night of the attack the hellhound had been protecting a portal, and she heard a woman call the demon off but didn't get a good look at her. She got pushed into the portal and wound up in France."

"That's a lead?" Magnus asked, his eyes searching Alec's face.

"We think me might be looking for a French warlock who recently portaled into the city, one with enough control and power to command a hellhound," Alec explained.

"I see," Magnus said, and finally gave up trying to make Alec look him in the eye. "The best I can do is ask around, but that is still a broad definition."

"I understand," Alec said, meeting the Warlock's eyes only briefly, but they seemed to just be looking at him, not seeing him. It was like Magnus was just some random Downworlder and he was only on Clave business. Not like they just had sex two nights ago and barely said a word to each other the entire time. Magnus felt decidedly used.

"Let me know what you find," Alec said, and then promptly left. The Warlock stood stunned for a moment. Then decided it wasn't worth it to hold back anymore. He ran to the door and flung it open, sticking his head over the banister. Alec was almost to the door. What did he do jump down the stairs?

"That's it? That is all you have to say to me? I would be more melodramatic but frankly now you're just wearing on my temper," Magnus shouted down at Alec. The shadowhunter stopped, and seriously debated about walking out. Was he really willing to hash this out right here, where every occupant in the building could hear them? If his temper hadn't grown so short over the years, he would have kept walking.

"Excuse me?" Alec shouted back, turning to look up at the warlock, who undoubtedly did seem quite angry. He didn't want to have this fight right now, he really didn't.

"I think you owe me an explanation_ Alexander_," He said, reminding Alec starkly of his mother when she would sit behind her desk and scold him. It made him hilariously furious.

"Here's a fucking explanation for you, I was lonely and I knew you wouldn't say no!"

"You expect me to believe you just used me for sex?" Magnus demanded, but there was a brief moment of panic in his mind. He didn't want to believe that, but he was reminded just how much he didn't know Alec anymore.

"Is that so shocking to you?" Alec shot back.

"Yes," Magnus said, but so quietly he knew Alec couldn't have heard. They stood like that for quite a while, just staring at each other, till Alec's shoulders visibly dropped, and he started making his way back up the stairs. Magnus stepped back into the apartment and waited, now suddenly at a loss for words. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted this to be going. A couple moments later he heard the door being opened, and turned back to see Alec.

"Maybe we should talk," He said, still looking distant, and the hardness in his eyes told Magnus that this conversation would be no better than the shouting match on the stairwell.

"Go on then," Magnus said and made his way over to the couch, sinking onto it gracefully and running a hand across his face. Alec did not sit, but rather just moved to stand a bit closer, still a significant distance away though.

"I don't know why I called you the other night, it just happened. I don't know why I suddenly don't go a moment without missing you. But look what a mess we made of it last time. All the problems that were there are still going to be there, and I just can't do that to myself again. You're the one who cut me off, left the country and didn't choose to see me for eight years. I waited so long, till I had to realize you weren't coming back. I'm not going to get into something that I never recovered from in the first place. I won't," Alec said, and the finality of the fact seemed set in stone on his face.

"I didn't cut you off Alec. I was angry for a long time, and heartbroken even longer, but I forgave you years ago for what happened, in my own heart at least. I've seen Isabelle, Clary, and even Jace over the years and they all strongly relied the same message, you black listed me. I wasn't allowed to even be spoken about in front of you. I always assumed you moved on," Magnus tried to explain.

"I didn't," Alec said, eyes blazing and temper flaring.

"How was I supposed to know that?"

"You could have come to me? You could have fucking called!"

"I lost track of time," Magnus said, and Alec was going to shout at him, tell him to leave his immortal shit out of this, but there was such a sadness there that the anger left him instantly. It left him with a dizzying feeling. He walked over to the couch and sat down, not very closely, but his body was angled towards Magnus.

"I waited eight years for you. How much more time are you going to let slip away?" Alec asked as gently as he could, he tried to keep the pleading out of his voice, the need for Magnus to show him that he didn't imagine all of this. That somehow time brought them back together, for whatever fucked up reason, and they should run with it. Too many nights had been spent without each other, too many faces that held no love, and times when the loneliness was too much to bear. Alec needed the reassurance that he wasn't alone in feeling this, that he wasn't the only one who believed that they were supposed to be together. That Magnus spent eight hundred years looking just for him. It felt crazy, it always felt crazy, but how could he not believe that his love for Magnus meant so much more than whatever years they were bound in? Why had it ached all this time without him if it hadn't been real?

"If you are trying to make me miserable darling, I have to say you have done it quite spectacularly," Magnus said, but there was a smile on his lips. He moved closer to Alec, and placed a hand behind his neck, pulling him forwards gently, till their foreheads rested against each other. Alec closed his eyes, and for the first time since they had reunited, Magnus could see his body relax, as if he were himself again. Magnus smiled and kissed him gently. "Who are you stunning man?" He asked loftily and kissed him again softly.

Alec just laughed once, "If you come around more you can find out. We can figure this mess out along the way."

* * *

When Jace reached the gates of the Institute, he turned sharply around the corner and waited for a moment in the shadows. It wasn't long before he heard the gate reopen and two small bodies sliver through. When they got close enough, Jace reached out and grabbed one of them, pulling out his witchlight to reveal Zeke Goldenlake. He looked, and saw that Molly Starwell was the one with him, and they were both dressed in gear. Jace didn't even know they made gear that small. He put Zeke down, realizing that he wasn't being followed by anyone dangerous.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, surprising even himself with how paternal that sounded. Both of the children looked guilty, but it was Molly that spoke up.

"Please let us come with you," She pleaded, but her voice was steady and strong.

"You were spying on the conversation in the library weren't you?" Jace asked, and both heads nodded. He sighed, suddenly feeling too old for this sort of thing. "I'm not going to take you, for one you are too young, and secondly, I don't have time to worry about you if something bad happens."

"Nothing bad is going to happen! They've searched that house three times already and found nothing. I heard Isabelle say that the hellhound ran off," Molly argued back.

"You are still too young to go, and I don't need to give your father another reason to dislike me," Jace said, trying to be firm even though he could tell that Molly was a stubborn little girl. She was standing the exact way Violet did when she was about to work him over.

"I haven't even spoken to my parents in three days! Zeke can watch my back and we will stay out of the way. If anything happens we can call for help, but I have to go there. My sister died there, and maybe I could do something to help find what did this to her. Please, I just want this to be over, I want my sister to be at rest," Molly said, almost reduced to tears. Jace tried not to look at her, but he already regretted what he was about to say.

"You can't tell anybody, you follow my exact orders, you run if I say so, and hide if I say so. Do you understand? I'm trusting you, and taking a big risk here, so don't make me regret it," He said, and was accosted by a vicious double hug.

* * *

Blythe was still young for a warlock, only having reached maturity sixty years ago. She was reckless, and she was violent, and she had little way to conceal her mark. With a long forked tongue and fangs, the slit eyes of a snake, and scales that started at the nape of the neck and ran down to a long thick tail, she was quite off putting to most people. The man beside her had the forward horns of a bull and bright red eyes. They were watching the house again, seeing if Nephilim would return. Tonight was their lucky night, there was a pretty blonde man with two young ones in tow.

"We should take the angel man, I want to taste his pretty blood," Blythe hissed. Her companion was always impressed with her capacity for cruelty, but thought Blythe had more demon in her than her fellow warlocks.

"He is not who we are looking for child, but he undoubtedly will lead us to Alec Lightwood," Constantine said in his cool melodic voice. He had an aura of calm about him that was uncomfortable, like at any moment he would rage into a madman.

"They keep searching but they will find nothing," Blythe said.

"It was foolish of you to allow the dog to attack the Nephilim in the first place. Adalaide is in the city seeking sanctuary, now they are hunting her. Then you left it there to attack the Head of the New York Institute's brother. She will not be pleased with you," Constantine reminded her. He had been by Adalaide's side since before the years of the Accords, for much longer than that. Her newest apprentice had an impressive amount of power, but it was always hard for him to control the young ones. The girl would be punished soundly.

"You remember what happened in Paris, this will just be a lot more fun!" Blythe spat gleefully.

"Paris was a mistake, not a game. Can I trust you to follow him? Do not touch a hair on his pretty little head Blythe, or I will see to it that your tongue is ripped out. Do you understand?" Constantine asked her, his voice perfectly casual. Blythe in turn shrank back slightly, but nodded her head that she understood that Jace was not to be harmed. Constantine left her in a cloud of red and black smoke.

* * *

**I will try to get more work done on the next chapter tonight, but it might now be till monday that I can get it out there, in the mean time let me know what you think! As always thank you so much for reading and supporting this story!**


	6. The Enchantress

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Guys I haven't been feeling the love, so I hope the sex scene here will cheer you up and drive you to review my awesomeness. (I've never really written a sex scene before so bear with me?) Remember writing reviews and giving me feedback keep the story going. You do want to keep the story going, RIGHT?! Because I will weep unashamedly if not. WEEP. Anyways love y'all! **

**Oh also the last of the trio of villains comes into play sort of ish in this one, she's the big kahuna folks! **

* * *

** Chapter 5: The Enchantress  
**

Molly almost could not believe that Jace let her come along. She never thought an adult shadowhunter would take her seriously, so she did her best to follow his exact orders. They were in the room where the demon had been kept. It smelled still of rot and death. There were scorch marks and slashes littering the floorboards, and a gaping hole on the far side of the room. They had searched it thoroughly, but there was nothing more to be found, making Molly lose hope. It couldn't be like that, Callista couldn't just be gone for no reason. She had been the most brilliant person Molly had ever known, and had always promised that she would train her someday. Now she was just another fallen shadowhunter, how was this the life her parents wanted her to have? How could any parent teach their children that this life was honorable? They were just buffers to be extinguished, the only thing that stood between a world who knew not or cared not about them, and the evils of other dimensions.

"Here," Jace said from next to her, he moved so silently that Molly had not heard him approach. He was holding out a closed hand to her, she held out hers as well and he dropped something small and silver into her palm. She looked down at the familiar insignia and ring. She wanted to throw it out the window, she didn't want this life anymore.

"Thanks," She muttered sadly instead. Jace put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know it's not my place to give it to you, but I found it on your sister's body the day she died. When I knew her, I can tell you that you were so important to her. She always talked about what a great shadowhunter you would make someday, and how proud she was of you. She loved you very much Molly, and this life will never get any easier, but you will learn to live with pain and make it part of you," Jace told her, realizing that maybe that wasn't the most inspiring speech, but it was the truth, and that was important.

"What if I don't want to be a shadowhunter anymore?" She asked him.

"Then that is your choice to make, and yours alone," He told her. If this would turn her away from the Nephilim for good, he couldn't blame her. She was young, and probably afraid, and this life had just taken a hero from her.

"Jace there is someone in the house," Zeke said quietly, returning to the room. Jace cursed himself, for he hadn't even seen the boy leave. "I think she might be a demon."

"What kind of demon," Jace asked, low and steady.

"I don't know!" Zeke panicked, but kept his voice to a whisper. "A snake demon?"

"What the hell do they teach you in Alicante these days?" Jace said, severely wanting to shake the kid by his ears. "The two of you stay behind me, next to the hole and ready to jump down if something happens to me, understood?" Both children nodded, but everyone froze when they heard the sound of feet merrily skipping up the stairwell. The kids ran to the hole and crouched together, keeping their eyes on the doorway.

"Here kitty kitty kitty," Jace said quietly, waiting for whatever it was to show itself. Moments later the door sprung open to reveal what did happen to be some kind of serpentine creature, but it more looked like a snake had slept with a mundane and out popped this monstrosity. He wasn't that far off either, but knew by the orange flames playing at her fingertips that she was a warlock, albeit a terrifying one in appearance.

"Such a pretty sight," Said the woman upon entering the room. She touched the doorframe on the way in and it was sent instantly ablaze, blocking it as an escape route. "Tell me little angel child, have you ever fought a warlock?" She asked, her tongue darting out into a hiss.

"Molly, Zeke, get out of here," Jace told them, making sure that he was always standing between the warlock and the children. The snake woman didn't spare them another glance, her gaze was fixed ferociously on Jace. When he heard them hit the ground below, he felt a little safer, for them at least. He was still fixed with the fact that prior to everything else he might have killed or tried to take down in his lifetime, he had never gone hand to hand with a warlock.

"Who are you?" He asked, hoping once to go around this whole hero/villain monologue and get straight to the point. She would just blab everything right here, they would fight, and it would end with Jace's blade in her throat. That was just his hopeful outcome however.

"I'll do the talking," She said, making a gesture with her hands. Jace dropped the blade he had been holding, and suddenly felt like his arms and legs were made of lead. He dropped to the ground on all fours, even lifting his head to look at the foul woman seemed like it would take all his strength away. The warlock had a cruel smile on her face.

"How does that feel all powerful Nephilim? Still feeling superior?" She asked, and came to kneel next to him, ducking down and looking him in the face.

"It takes a special kind of woman to bring me to my knees," Jace said, but talking was becoming difficult too, the sounds were cutting off in his throat.

"Here is how this is going to go golden boy, you are going to tell me where Alec Lightwood is, in exchange for that I will spare the children and not singe off all your pretty marks. That sounds fair right? I'm fair!" She roared into his ear. When his gaze went to the hole, she could read in his eyes what he wanted to ask, for he truly had lost all ability to speak now, she had to make sure of that after all.

"You didn't think I would walk in here alone did you? I brought the pup," and as if the thing heard her from wherever he was in the house, the familiar piercing howl danced on the air. His stomach sank, he knew he shouldn't have allowed Molly and Zeke to come, and now they were all in danger.

He felt more than saw her tongue along his jawline, and the look of terrorized triumph in her eyes. She laughed, more of a cackling bark sound really, and placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe I should just burn off a couple, I could start with your parabatai rune," She hissed. Jace instinctively threw his head to the side, hearing the crunch of her nose as it met with his unusually hard head. He almost had the absurdity to laugh, imagining how much enjoyment Clary would get out of his weapon choice had she been here.

The woman stood and delivered a swift kick to Jace's ribs, followed by about twelve more till he felt most of them give way and crack under the pressure. The little snake girl was a lot stronger than he ever would have given her credit for. With another impatient wave of her hand the heavy feeling that had lain over Jace lifted, and he struggled to his feet, puzzled as to why she would let him up. She did know he was incredibly dangerous right?

""Where is Alec Lightwood?" She asked, eyes blazing.

"Have you tried calling at the Institute? I'm sure they would let a charming lady such as yourself enter without question," Jace said automatically upon realizing he could speak momentarily.

In turn the warlock snapped her fingers and a large flaming whip appeared in her grasp. She smirked and lashed it out with a speed he was sure even Isabelle could not achieve. Jace dove to the side, hearing a sickening crack as the whip met the floor instead of himself. He rolled upright and removed a dagger from his arm sheath, throwing it expertly at her chest. The whip caught it midair and sent it back towards him. Did all warlocks get wicked combat training or was that just this girl? Because Jace was sure he would have been rather impressed if she wasn't trying to kill him.

He felt a burning sensation around his neck, and then he was thrown forward on his face, the lead feeling returning in gusto. The warlock rolled him over with a boot and stood leering down at him. Breaking her nose had provoked her, but Jace knew she wouldn't make the same rookie mistake twice in a row, he would have to think of something better to save the day this time.

"Where is Alec Lightwood?" She asked again. Jace just rolled his eyes, then felt the blinding pain of being kicked in the temple. Why did people always go for his face? The warlock kneeled by him again, tail reaching down and cradling his head. He tried to ignore the crawling feeling his skin felt when contacted with her golden scales. She pulled several chains out from their hiding spot under the front of her shirt.

"See this?" She asked, holding up a tiny black vile. "This is a spell Connie left me with, clever man he is. See a few drops of this and I will be erased from your memory, my essence will be there sure, and you might see me in a few nightmares, but I would sneak back into oblivion you never knowing the wiser. So here is what I am going to do, I am going to get my information, then I'm going to drug you and the two brats downstairs, then I'm going to sneak into your brother's house, and I am going to watch him while he sleeps. I can't harm him if that's what you're worried about. I can hurt you though, and if you don't tell me what I want to know, then I will cut you from your brother and revel in it," She said, placing her hand back over Jace's parabatai rune, making him fear her for the first time since this encounter began. "If that doesn't work I will take your manhood next," She hissed and grabbed him roughly and literally by the balls. A tiny scream died in his throat.

She placed a hand around his neck, alleviating him to speak, and leaned down very close to his face. "I will ask you one more time, where is Alec Lightwood?"

* * *

"Don't go," Magnus said, and tugged hard enough for Alec to fall back into bed. He was rewarded with an unguarded smile. Alec leaned back against the warlock's stomach, contented for another moment not to move. Truly he didn't want to leave anyhow, but Clary had called saying Jace came home with unexplained bruises and a need for an iratze, even though he swore the trip back to the old house had been uneventful. It wasn't like Jace had never done something like that before, and when Alec had texted him Jace had assured him he was fine, and not even in the hiding something sort of way, but in the exasperated way of someone who was truly fine and sick of being asked.

"I can stay a while longer," Alec said.

"How much longer?" Magnus purred deviously and snaked a hand up Alec's shirt.

"Depends if you would make it worth my while," Alec said back with a smirk. Magnus had discovered that while Alec might not be emotionally the same, and sometimes that distressed him, he most certainly welcomed the more open and sexual side of Alec. It was one of the changes in him that he admired. Mainly because that just benefitted him oh so much more, he didn't have to coax Alec out of his shell, or worry about offending him, new Alec seemed almost un-offendable in the bedroom now. And before Magnus knew it the other man was straddling him, pinning both of his hands behind his head.

"I could get used to this," Magnus said, reaching his mouth to the side and biting Alec on the wrist, just enough to hurt. Alec licked his lips and leaned down over Magnus, pausing an inch before their lips met. The muscles in his arms had filled out over the years, and just looking at them made the warlock feel weak. The physical changes into a man had done his shadowhunter proud, made him more swoon worthy than he already had been.

"I could think of something a lot more useful for you to do with that mouth," Alec whispered, still denying Magnus the kiss. When had he become such an unbearable tease? He let go of Magnus's hands and leaned back enough to remove his shirt, revealing the hardened and scarred chest underneath. His runes stood out starkly against his pale skin, and the ghosts of old runes were still visible. It was a beauty that only shadowhunters had, it was the way they wore their scars like badges of honor, and the universal attractiveness of ink on skin. Magnus was not a fan of tattoos per say, but runes were always more elegant and powerful, and on Alec they were complete poetry.

Magnus pulled Alec towards him by the waist, reached up with his teeth and undid the button on his jeans. It was a difficult little trick to master, but then again Magnus was always doing something that seemed impossible, with an ease that was infuriating. Alec could feel himself getting hard at just the thought of that glorious mouth wrapped around his cock. He had forgotten just how good Magnus was with his mouth. Now he planned on spending everyday just remembering.

Magnus pulled down Alec's jeans and boxers with practiced ease, until he was eye level with Alec's member, full , thick, and throbbing. He leaned back on the pillows and feigned a yawn, only stroking him with one finger. Alec groaned and leaned forward, putting his hands on the headboard, lowering himself till he was positioned over Magnus's mouth. When the warlock finally reached up and enveloped him with his lips and tongue, Alec gasped.

He angled his hips for better leverage, and relaxed into the familiar sucking and stroking feeling. Alec reached down with one hand and knotted it in Magnus's unkempt hair, urging him to take more of him in. He could feel the smile against his shaft as the warlock reached up and held firmly to Alec's hips, pulling him and pushing him in a rhythmic motion. The shadowhunter's breathes were coming in short quick gasps, that only increased when Magnus reached around and slowly started messaging Alec's ass. He could feel him pulsating in his mouth, and worked harder to finish him, swishing his tongue and taking him as deeply into his throat as he could. Hearing Alec's moan was turning him on completely, and was the best kind of encouragement. Alec used to be very quiet during sex, which was something that used to throw Magnus off, now it seemed the other man had gotten over his silence in the bedroom.

"I'm going to come," Alec rasped out, white knucking the headboard, sweat glistening handsomely across his chest and shoulders. Magnus waited obediantly for the warm liquid to fill his mouth, then he simply swallowed and licked his lips, looking up at Alec.

"How much more time do we have?"

* * *

It was twenty minutes later, plus a lengthy shower, till Alec was able to make his escape. Magnus hadn't felt so happy in a long time, thoroughly annoying Chairman Meow with all the singing and twirling about. They had spent the night in each other's arms, talking and making love and just being unexplainably happy at being together again. The warlock had no illusions that this time it would work out like a fairy tale, or that there still weren't deep seeded issues that needed figuring out, but he had Alec back, and that was what was important. Like he had been told, they would figure it out along the way. Magnus had learned not to question the gifts in life that were thrown his way every so often.

He heard a knocking at the door and sighed. He had just sat down in the study, cracking open a long untouched volume on hellhounds, and he did not want to be bothered now. He could very well ignore it, but then he heard Chairman hissing, which even on a bad day was unlike him. He didn't usually react negatively to callers till they were already in the loft. He took his time standing up, stretching and yawning loudly, before making his way to the door.

Sure enough Chairman Meow was standing in front of hism, fur on end and back arched. Magnus shooed the cat away with his foot and opened the door to a pair of familiar violet eyes that he hoped he would never have to encounter again.

"Adelaide," He said, everything suddenly falling into place. She was the High Warlock of Paris, and didn't leave the city much, but if there was one person who recently portaled here from France, able to summon and control a hellhound, it was her.

"Don't look at me like that," She told him and pushed past him into the loft. Magnus did nothing more than shut the door behind her. There was little use in fighting Adelaide if she wanted to do something. He had learned that the hard way, and many years since. She was one of the oldest warlocks he knew of. In Paris they called her Adelaide the Enchantress, and was famous for her hatred of men. She had long violet hair that touched the floor, and violet eyes clean through, but he knew she could change her eyes and hair at will, it was part of her mark. She was a voluptuous woman, who often liked to show off that body in form fitting gowns, and pluck out the eyes of those that lingered. The skin was pale and almost translucent as well.

"What are you doing here?" Magnus asked, trailing behind her and dropping into an armchair. Adelaide had summoned an ornate divan for her to sit on, and was lounging quite at her ease.

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" She purred.

"We aren't friends Adelaide," Magnus reminded her sharply. Anger flashed in her eyes, and he felt her small surge of power. It was always dangerous to enrage the Enchantress.

"This is where you reside? It's abysmal darling," She said, choosing to ignore him for the moment. When Magnus said nothing she rolled her eyes quite melodramatically. "Oh Maggie why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"You were the one that allowed your pets to attack the Nephilim. They're hunting you," He reminded her, but knew that she of course would already know that. Adelaide didn't live as long as she had by not being well informed and careful. In fact if he knew her at all then he knew that she never would have risked something like that upon herself. She detested Nephilim, the accords, and mundanes, but she never paid them adverse attention, and would not want the opposite to be true either.

"I had heard you were bedding an angel child, is that still true?" She asked, eyes sparkling.

"Yes," The other warlock said flatly.

"Such a pity. They're such mortal little creatures, why you would even think about investing in one of them is beyond comprehension to me. How very far you have fallen dear Magnus," She said, all the air of an aristocrat about her.

"That would depend on perspective," Magnus told her. His temper was growing short, but a battle against Adelaide here could level half the city, not to mention ruin his decorating scheme.

"There are still pieces falling into place, but have no doubt that you will be at the center of this all," She said, her eyes challenging him to ask her more. It was always like that with her, and he always baited right into it.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her again. She smiled sweetly.

"I'm here to dismantle the patriarchy," She said.

"Oh how very feminist agenda of you Adelaide. The truth however, would be more appreciated."

"All in good time sweetheart. I thought it would be cordial of me to let you know that I'm in town and will be in touch, but that is all I have to say to you tonight," She told him.

"You could have saved yourself the effort."

"I'll be in touch," She said, rising and banishing her divan. She smiled, the predatory smile that let him know she had not forgotten the debt between them. Adelaide never forgot. "I just wanted to see that sweet face and make sure you were still in your right mind. I will be needing your help Magnus."

"You should look elsewhere Adelaide," He warned her.

"How silly of me, you are actually in bed with the Nephilim now. But I will take what you owe me Magnus, and never forget that once I gave life to you once, and I can take it back just as easily."

* * *

**REVIEW! Please?**


	7. A French Origin

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Sorry I have been sick lately and the update is rather late, but please keep on loving me because I love you! I don't think I have anything to explain this chapter much, except ignore my horrible names that are supposed to be French esque! The name I used for the Head of the French Institute, the last name at least, I got out of a book, The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley and needed to give credit there. Anyways please review and give me inspiration! Hug it out. **

* * *

**Chapter 6: A French Origin  
**

Paris, 1671, The Seelie Court

_Magnus had known this day was coming. Fraternizing with mundanes and performing tricks for them was bad enough, but he was twice the fool for allowing Andres to come along, who apparently couldn't keep his mouth closed. The warlock knew the Fair Folk couldn't lie, but the kid could have at least done some crafty retelling. Now he was kneeling in the dirt before the Seelie Queen, feeling her eyes burn holes into the top of his head. He knew that this was the end of the line for him. He had lived a long enough life, not long enough by warlock standards, but he would have been dead very long ago if he was just a mundane._

_"Magnus Bane you are accused of profiteering, thievery, smuggling, prostitution, and endangering the secrets of the Seelie Court. Have you anything intelligible to say?" The Seelie Queen said, her blazing hair and personage made Magnus shrink a little. He was never afraid of a woman in his life, but this creature was something else entirely._

_"If I have endangered anyone it was only myself," Magnus replied, trying to keep a steady gaze._

_"Revealing yourself in front of mundanes endangers not only your kind, but the kind of every involved, which Andres was one. You foolish child! Do you have no self-preservation?" The Queen did not raise her voice, but Magnus was sure her eyes could scream more fiercely than any voice in the world._

_"I revealed a slight of hand at a mundane society event. I was surrounded by superstitious old fools that will have forgotten it the second the King casts his eyes on one of their daughters. I assure you the crime was slight," Magnus tried to defend himself. The looks around the room were all merciless; he was clearly the only one who thought his little slip up was unimportant. If Andres hadn't been with him the Seelie Queen would have remained ignorant. He was starting to gain a slight resentment towards them both._

_"You caused a panic! Recklessness in a warlock is a grievous crime in and of itself," The Queen answered him. There was suddenly a pleasant laughter from somewhere amongst the small crowd. The faeries parted, and a woman with violet eyes and hair emerged, swathed in a bright golden gown. She was magnificent to behold, but no less terrifying than Seelie Queen herself._

_"Lovely lady," The purple woman spoke, and curtsied gracefully before the Queen. "Allow me to deal with the boy. Your illustrious time is wasted on such a poor fool. If you would but hand him over to me, fairest Queen, I can assure you his punishment will be quite sound indeed. You won't have to sully your hands with the boy, and neither will you risk angering any warlocks he may be in league with. Let me be your servant in this."_

_"Enchantress, it has been many long years since you have graced my courts, but you will always have favour here. What has happened to your latest play thing?" The Queen asked pleasantly. _

_"They've just been dropping like flies lately. Please do allow me to have this one, his eyes are so splendid," She said, and placed a hand on Magnus's shoulder. He looked up at her, expecting a predatory glare from the famed French Enchantress, but strangely found a look of compassion instead. It was not something he understood at the moment, but he was hopelessly lost in those eyes now. He didn't hear the rest of the drown out conversation, or feel the faerie knights dragging him to his feet. His bindings were cut and he was released, but he was still a prisoner, locked in the beauty of Adelaide. She leaned in suddenly, and he was aware of her bosom pressed against his chest._

_She whispered urgently in his ear. "Stop staring you silly idiot and let's out of here before she changes her mind!" The trance on him seemed to break, and the two nearly fled the Seelie Court. Once in the cold night air of Paris again, Adelaide led him to a coach and told the driver to make haste towards the rue Beauregard. Magnus could not stop watching the Enchantress. He had heard of her a number of times since arriving in Paris, but had never seen her. She was famed to be malicious and secretive, but tonight she was his hero, and he couldn't puzzle out why she had saved him. Surely the Seelie Queen did not mean for him to live after his stupid little stunt, and the danger that he brought down on Andres._

_"Why did you save me?" He asked quietly, not wanting to look in her eyes again._

_That bright laughter rang through the carriage. "I have been watching you Magnus. I take an interest in any new warlock that comes into my city. I watched you make mistake after mistake, till you made the wrong one and started that clever little uproar. I should have left you for dead, certainly the only reason the Seelie Queen released you is because of her and I's lengthy friendship, and that she thinks you will surely perish in my employ. No don't go all pale again, I won't kill you. It would be a waste of perfectly good un-honed talent. Someday I will call on you to repay this debt, don't ever forget that Monsieur Bane."_

* * *

It was the third night in a row he had the same dream, the one where Adelaide rescued him from the Seelie Court. It had been many lifetimes ago, at a time where Magnus gave little value to his life. Adelaide had saved it, and given it back to him, never once calling on him to repay that debt until now. He might have been too foolish and reckless to realize the danger that she was back then, but now it was the only thing he could think of. She had managed to snake her way into the lives of many great and powerful people, creating a network of those that owed her something or another. She had a far reaching web, and even if she had spent the last hundred years in a welcome silence and secrecy, that didn't mean she wasn't just as strong as she always had been. Adelaide was one of the few people in this world that really caused him to fear.

He felt Alec stir beside him and turned to see the other man roll over and bury his face in the pillows. Why did it have to be that when he finally had everything all put back together again, someone had to come along that would surely destroy everything? Everything came back to haunt him eventually, so he wasn't sure why he thought Adelaide would be any different. The cruel witch.

"You're staring at me," Alec said quietly, and turned his face to the side, opening his eyes slowly and dreamily.

"How did you know that if you were asleep?" Magnus asked, turning onto his side and snuggling up against Alec. He didn't want to think about the Enchantress anymore.

"I could feel your eyes on me," Alec said, but he was smiling, and moved closer so his head was tucked underneath Magnus's chin.

"I'm sorry love," Magnus said and kissed Alec on the forehead. He could feel the steady and even heave of Alec's chest, and knew he had fallen back asleep. He was beginning to doze himself, but there were violet eyes behind his lids, and he decided to keep them open instead. His mind was going to implode from the unknowingness of why she was here. It was actually making his stomach turn, because it was too closely tied to Alec, whatever it was, and he wasn't going to allow that evil woman to touch him. She would use and toy with a shadowhunter cruelly, and because Alec was pretty, she would do it with a big seductive smile on her face that he would not be able to resist. They shouldn't call her the Enchantress really, she was more of a vile violet haired Siren. He was lost in thought when he felt the weight in the bed shift significantly. Alec was sitting up on the edge of the bed, looking at Magnus with an expression somewhere between anger and love.

"What is it?" Magnus asked, and sat up himself.

"You were suffocating me into your chest, or did you not feel that?" Alec asked, but the expression was definitely softening, and he almost seemed to be about to laugh. Magnus hadn't even realized he had been holding him too tightly, and offered a smile and a shrug as way of apology.

"I've just had a lot on my mind," Magnus said, and sighed.

"What are you thinking about?" Alec asked, and turned to face him more on the bed.

"It was nothing darling, let's just go back to sleep," Magnus told him, but wished he hadn't. As soon as the words left his mouth Alec's face hardened into that distant shadowhunter place, where he didn't belong to Magnus anymore. He hated it, because there were walls inside Alec now that he knew he could never breech, and he was carefully tiptoeing around the ones he could. While it was lovable and exciting to get to know Alec all over again, at other times it was almost too much to bear to see the changes and habits just a few years had brought to him.

"You always have to fucking do that don't you," Alec said and got up, going to the window and forcing it open. The fresh air did feel a little nicer, but it was still rather hot in the room.

"Do what?" Magnus asked, and got up as well. Painfully aware that he was naked, he grabbed a pair of pants off the floor and threw them on. They were neon pink shorts to be more precise.

"You know that was one of the things that always pissed me off about you? How dare you, to expect me to tell you fucking everything, and only give me little facts about yourself in return. I mean who the fuck are you? Why can't you just let me in your head every once and a while?" Alec started shouting towards the end. His temper was notoriously shorter in his adult life. It ironically made him mad to have such a bad tempter. He was constantly blowing up about things, and unable to keep them all bottled in like he had been accustomed to when he was younger.

"Why can't you trust me when I say it was nothing?" Magnus asked, getting a little irritated himself now. Over the time they had been back together he had taken note of Alec's little anger spills, but he wasn't so nonchalant in noticing that most of them had been aimed at him lately.

"That's not how a relationship works Magnus, you have to share things with me. You can't just be this pretty book that I get to look at the cover of but never peer inside. I thought we were past all this shit," Alec interjected.

"I had a dream about a woman I used to know who saved my life once. And before you ask if I've slept with her, no I have not. She's had the same lover with her since ancient times. Happy?" Magnus said, sinking back onto the bed, refusing to look at Alec. It was quiet a long time after that, the silence only broken when Chairman Meow started scratching at the door to beg admittance. Magnus was about to get up to let him in when he saw Alec do it instead, then after coming to lay back down. He was turned away from Magnus, and didn't bother to say anything at all. Maybe he was still angry, or maybe he had sensed that the warlock lied. He didn't actually lie, but he didn't tell the truth either.

"You're going to wrinkle your forehead if you keep glaring at the wall like that," He heard Alec say in a sleepy voice. Magnus was then able to relax slightly, he hated the silent treatment and hated even more going to bed when he knew Alec was angry. They were at least on speaking terms now, so things would be alright in the morning. The warlock chanced an arm around his boyfriend, and when there was no fighting it, pulled him close against him. He kissed the back of his hair and let his eyes drift shut.

"I love you," He whispered to Alec.

"If you ever stop I'll kill you," Alec muttered in reply before falling sound asleep.

* * *

"Blythe reports that the Lightwood boy hasn't been home all week," Constantine said, pouring Adelaide another glass of wine. The Enchantress swirled around the red liquid, calculating as always.

"Have her break in. Tell her not to take anything, just cause suspicion. He will come home then," she said taking a sip.

"There could be protection runes. It would be dangerous for her to do such a thing," Constantine said, but mildly. He would never risk angering his mistress.

"Serves her right for the trouble she has already caused me. When the boy comes home I need you there. Control her," Adelaide said, looking him in the eye. The young warlock, Blythe, was not worth the trouble she was bringing down on both of their heads, and the look in Adelaide's eyes told Constantine that she already knew that. The poor child would be disposed of eventually, but for now she was serving her purpose.

"When I have him, what then?" He asked.

"Then we will go forth as planned and get this whole thing back on track. Never fear my darling, we are still ahead of this. From what I hear Silone's body has just now been discovered. You did quite the grand job of hiding it, for which I am grateful."

"I've hidden enough dead for you over the years ," Constantine mused.

"I shall reward you for it. When this storm passes we will have a new city at our command, and new identities. It shall be a marvelous ruse I assure you," Adelaide said and rose. She sauntered over to Constantine and sat upon his lap, brushing his wildly curling hair behind his horns and placing a kiss on his forehead. He had served and loved her longer than most warlocks in this city had been alive. He had complete faith in her, which gave her faith that her plan would work. It had to.

* * *

"Alec your sister is here," Magnus said, poking his head into the study where Alec had spent the entire afternoon. He set aside his book and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Either she was here to be nosy, or something else bad had happened. When he walked into the living space he could tell it was the second. Her eyes were slightly red rimmed, as if she had been crying recently.

"Iz what's wrong?" Alec asked and went to her.

"Silone Morville was found dead today. Beheaded and drained of blood," Isabelle told him. It was quite the shock. Silone was the Head of the Paris Institute. He had known her since he was a little boy, and could always remember how stern and strong she was. A lot of good shadowhunters were dropping dead recently, and it wasn't all adding up.

"You think it's all connected?" Alec asked. Magnus was sitting on the couch, pretending to be engrossed in petting Chairman Meow, but there was a look that crossed the warlock's face that Alec did not miss.

"It all stinks like a French Mistake, you do the math," Iz said and plopped down in a chair. Alec sat next to Magnus on the couch.

"So we are now looking for a warlock targeting Nephilim across the spectrum," Alec sighed.

"Or a warlock seeking refuge in the city. The Clave is going to be in an absolute uproar when the word gets out."

"You know first?" Magnus asked curiously.

"I discovered the body," She admitted.

"What?!" Both men cried in unison.

"Well Alec was here playing house all week, Jace has gone crazy, and we haven't gotten any leads! So I had Clary portal me to Paris and I may have been snooping around," She didn't even try to look apologetic about it.

"What do you mean Jace's gone crazy? And did you at least take Clary with you to Paris? You could have been killed, we don't even know the level of maniac we are searching for yet. How could you be so stupid Izzy!" Alec shouted. Isabelle was used to his dramatics, but bristled at being called stupid.

"Clary was not with me and I am not stupid!" She challenged.

"What's this about Jace?" Magnus intervened, not wanting a sibling battle right now. Isabelle sighed and sagged down in her chair a bit.

"He came home from the search all battered. He kept saying nothing bad happened, and I believed him at first but now he is acting so strange. Clary says he wakes her up having night terrors, and saying something about a snake woman. He keeps watching over his shoulder like someone is following him, and you know that Jace is not the jumpy type! Clary said sometimes he'll just stare out the window for hours, face completely white. He's scared of something he can't identify or refuses to tell us about," Isabelle explained.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Alec demanded to know.

"What could you do? Besides with everything going on this is probably the sanest place you can be. You might as well get to enjoy a little happinesss."

"I should be home, helping Jace!" Alec fumed.

"Helping him from what? Himself? I've sent a message to the Silent Brothers a little while ago, it's the best any of us could do for now," Isabelle said, clearly trying to calm Alec down. Magnus could see the tension in his boyfriend's shoulders and put a cooling hand on his back. Alec relaxed slightly at the touch but he was still on edge.

"So how did you find Silone?" He asked, feeling defeated.

"I went to call at the Institute and asked for her. They said she had been called to Idris a few weeks ago. I was suspicious before I even heard them say it. Silone hated politics, she would have sent her husband in her stead. Then _he_ even admitted to not hearing from her in a while, but thought nothing of it since they sometimes went months without speaking. I'm starting to think someone should start a shadowhunter marriage counseling service," She joked and snorted. Magnus cracked a smile, Alec glowered.

"Anyways I asked around with the Downworlders there, and they were all very hush hush about it. I tracked her body to a satanic cultist church, where she was set upside down to drain blood onto her own head on an alter. I've never seen something like that. Her runes were burned off and everything. Anybody could have done that, rogue vampire, pissed off werewolf, a faerie she had wronged, a demon she quarreled with, but my guess is on a warlock with a chip on her shoulder. Whoever this person is, they may be more dangerous than we are realizing," She told them.

"I need to get home and sort this out, and I need to see Jace," Alec concluded. Isabelle stood up.

"I'll meet you outside. Goodnight Magnus."

When the door shut behind her Alec went and put on his boots and jacket, Magnus calmly watching him from the couch. The shadowhunter made his way to the door and threw it open.

"You're not even going to say goodbye?" Magnus asked, half sarcastic half wounded. Alec turned and his eyes were cold.

"You know something you're not telling me Magnus," Alec told him, and promptly shut the door.

* * *

It was late, but Alec was finally home. First came the visit to Jace, who had been moved to the Institute when his screaming woke the neighbors late in the night. His eyes had been so hollow, and Alec hadn't seen him that shaken since Valentine. He would laugh one second, and then the next would shudder as if something was crawling through his skin. He admitted that he needed help, but he didn't know from what. He didn't know what was happening to him and every time he tried to describe it he would forget what he was going to say. Alec wanted to stay there all night, but the Silent Brothers had come and they had turned everyone out of the room.

Then Alec spent the better part of the night consulting with Clary and Isabelle about what had happened to Silone. Tomorrow the whole Clave would know, and things would be in an uproar. They would be on a manhunt for someone they knew nothing about. The whole idea made Alec want to bury his head in the sand and never come home.

He was just getting ready to set his key to the lock when the door opened freely, swinging into the quiet and darkened entryway. He never forgot to lock the door, ever, and he doubted that Clary would have come in here without him home, and he knew Jace was in no condition to do as much either. The only weapon he had on him was a long knife tucked in his boot. He cursed his own stupidity and pulled it out, stalking silently into the apartment.

He heard the sound of a fire cackling from his room, and silently and swiftly moved down the hall, pushing his bedroom door open with a toe. There was no fire, just a macabre woman, standing with her flaming whip.

"Well there you are pretty boy," She said with a hiss.

* * *

**Sorry cliffhanger. Love you!**


	8. Signed in Blood

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: WARNING THIS CHAPTER WILL CAUSE ANGER! I'm not even kidding I expect one or two of you may flip out. EMBRACE IT! Just never forget how much I love and appreciate you, and drop me a review! They revitalize my soul. **

* * *

**Chapter 7: Signed in Blood **

"Why have you dragged me here in the dead of night Adelaide?" Magnus asked, running a hand through his disheveled hair irritably. The Enchantress smiled, setting out her laughter that had always seemed unnatural to him. Too much false happiness in one so devoid of joy.

"I want to collect on my debt Magnus, of course," She said. Magnus just shifted his weight to his hip and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to go on. She always had been rather long winded. "I want you to help me disappear Magnus, into the shadow world of New York. I will need a new identity, and your word of my credit. Some minor adjustments will be needed to my appearance of course, that much I can manage myself."

"You came here with a trail of angel blood behind you, and you want me to hide you? I heard what you did to Silone. She was a good woman Adelaide. And here I thought you only killed young boys," Magnus said drolly.

"She stepped beyond her station," Adelaide warned.

"You mean she found out about your illustrious business in poisons and demon artifacts?" Magnus shot back.

"You think I would let those insignificant trolls uncover my business? No she sought me for a crime she should be thanking me for," Adelaide said.

"What crime would that be?" Magnus asked, taking a seat in a rustic armchair. Adelaide had taken up residence inside an old convent. Rather ironic since she was the devil herself, but Magnus decided not to comment on the irony.

"I killed Beaudroux."

Magnus was on his feet again, and pacing. Not only was she wanted by the Nephilim, but she had killed a major vampire clan leader, one that was on good standing with the Clave? She would be impossible to make disappear with those enemies. She was asking the impossible of him. Perhaps she already knew that.

"I simply cannot do what you're asking," Magnus informed her, prepared for whatever outrage was to follow.

"I thought you might see it that way," She purred. Out of the shadows Mangnus felt a sudden pulse of demonic energy, and the infamous hellhound appeared. Its head was low to the ground, and it seemed to slink over to his mistress, sitting obediently at her feet. It was an impressive enough feat, but the threat of a demon would not change the fact that he couldn't help her now.

"The hound doesn't change my mind," Magnus told her.

"He's just here for my protection. Honestly Magnus did you think I would be here alone?" She asked, but her eyes were laughing at some much bigger secret. Magnus could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. What kind of trap had he just walked into? He might be able to hold his own against Adelaide long enough to escape, but that alone would be a miracle.

"Who else is here Addy?" He said, sparking at her temper.

"Do come out darlings, show him what he has to lose," Adelaide said into the shadows.

First Constantine strode out, regal and distant as always. He never even looked at Magnus, only kept his eyes on the Enchantress. The love that was between them was more frighteningly psychotic than romantic and ageless. It was the next figures out of the shadows that made Magnus lose control of his temper. The two lamps in the room imploded, sending them all into darkness, but the growling menace before him was the only thing keeping him from lunging at Adelaide's throat. The demon would kill him far quicker than any move he could make now. The laughter rang out in the darkness.

"Enough of that," Adelaide said brightly, and reinstated the lamps. "Magnus I do believe this is your boyfriend. A little aged for my personal taste in pets, but I will keep him just the same."

Alec was kneeling and gagged, behind him standing the snake woman that Magnus had heard about. It was certainly an accurate description of her. She had a cruel and twisted grin painted on her face, letting her sharp fangs show through. Alec's eyes were like stone, and Magnus couldn't look at them just now. Any number of emotions could hide behind them, but the warlock already knew the greatest of those was anger. He didn't look in bad shape, only one long gash ran down his face, not bleeding but seared and blistered.

"He just stumbled into my lap really, the perfect bargaining chip. You will do what I ask, or I will let Blythe have him for the night, before I turn him into my service. I haven't had a Nephilim in ages," She said. She made it all sound as if they were arguing over a prize toy, not a person.

"I'll kill you," Magnus said, laughing ironically in his anger.

"That would be counter productive dear, to even make such an attempt. Blythe take the boy downstairs. I do believe Bane and I have some things to discuss."

Blythe bowed her head and leapt to her orders, dragging Alec unceremoniously out of the room. Magnus stepped forward an inch and was reproached by snapping, frothing jaws.

"Here boy," Adelaide called, the hellhound returning to his position at her feet. Constantine took up his position behind her chair, hand on her shoulder. "I have a little help for you, don't fear the task. Constantine will make the pretty one forget too, so you needn't fear that either."

"I don't want him anywhere near Alec's mind, or I won't lift a finger to help you. I will take care of that myself. Once you disappear I don't ever want you to contact me again, and Alec and his family will count as part of the deal, or I will expose you. Our debt is clear and I want no part in anything you touch if I do this for you," Magnus said, looking her steadily in the eye. The smile that grew wide and sinister, made him hate himself for having to agree to do anything to prolong such a wicked life.

"I can agree to those terms," She said coolly.

"I still don't know how you expect that they will not find you. Both parties will want justice," He warned her. Every muscle in his body was so tight they were screaming. It was physically painful to have to give this woman anything.

"I am going to turn over Blythe to the Clave. Constantine will see to it she remembers every detail of her gruesome crimes."

"Just another of your disposable playthings is she? Does she know you plan on setting her up?" Magnus asked her, though he felt no sympathy for the young warlock.

"She was not always going to be the victim, but the child is too demonic to control. I am doing our world and others a favor in this," Adelaide said as if it was the most normal conclusion.

"I will make your damn arrangements," Magnus snapped.

"Perfect my dear. Do know that I also expect not to be hunted by you and yours. Adelaide the Enchantress is no longer. My lover and I will be reborn, and you will have my eternal gratitude. Funny, how I can mean things for an eternity. Immortality is such a burden on you, I can see that. I have always seen that. Truth to tell if you let me take the boy it would save you heartache in the end," Adelaide told him.

"I want him released tonight," Magnus said, his hands nearly flaming blue. The hellhound raised its head, keeping red eyes locked on the warlock.

"You and your sentimentality! Do you really think you love him? Are you even capable Magnus? How many others have you felt this for? Haven't you realized yet your love means nothing?"

Magnus struck down the hellhound first, the lightening he summoned ripping a hole in the ceiling. He braced himself, ready for the charge of Constantine's power that struck out at him like a wall of glass. He was propelled backwards, but landed languidly on his feet, striking out with a steady stream of blue lightening. He cursed himself as the room filled quickly with black smoke, Constantine disappearing and assembling behind him, grabbing him around the throat. He was a little rusty, and it had been a long time since he had to outsmart someone smarter than him.

"Boys that is quite enough," Adelaide said, she had never risen from her chair.

"I tire of these games, you may go retrieve your boyfriend. At the weeks end I expect my guise, little darling," She said, finally getting to her feet. Constantine released Magnus, and the room was illuminated enough that he saw the small door in the corner. He made his way to it immediately, only halting when he heard that accursed laughter again. "Your vow Magnus," She said, summoning up a contract and dagger. Magnus set his shoulders and walked over, snatching the dagger angrily. He ran it across his palm and gripped the bottom of the page before storming out. There was no time to think at this moment, he just needed to get to Alec.

* * *

Perform the spell Magnus, or I will," Constantine said in his cold madman's voice. Magnus glared over his shoulder, then removed the gag from Alec's mouth.

"Don't you fucking dare," Alec spat, looking Magnus in the eye. He hated to have magic cast on him, but this was the only way. If Constantine did the spell, there was no telling what other kind of damage he would inflict while he was in there. From the sounds of it, Jace was already suffering from Constantine's particular specialty. He couldn't explain anything out loud, he could only hope that Alec would trust him.

"You really want that lunatic in your head instead of me?" Magnus asked, trying to place his fingers at Alec's temple. The shadowhunter jerked away violently.

"Don't touch me!"

"Alec, darling please," Magnus begged. Alec wouldn't look him in the eye, if only he would maybe he would trust him a little more. "It won't last long I promise." He was trying to get Alec to look at him, to trust in him, did he really believe Magnus would let this all go without a fight? He would never let anyone hurt Alec, and he never planned on removing these memories, just hiding them deeper inside his mind, it would all come back to him eventually, or that was the plan anyways. He would need Alec, probably the whole damn Clave to bring Adelaide down. The contract he had bled on would be the hardest part to skid around, that and getting Alec to forgive him for not telling him the truth sooner. How could he make him understand he was just trying to protect him? He hadn't really done a great job of that either.

"I don't care about the goddamn spell. You lied to me, and now you're just going to make it all go away. I don't get a choice in this! I won't even remember in the morning how much I hate you right now," Alec said, though his heart didn't seem truly in the last part.

"Do it now, or I will let Blythe have the honor. Somehow I don't think either of you will be fond of his brains oozing out of his ears," Constantine said.

"Please trust me," Magnus said to Alec , placing a finger under his chin and making Alec look him in the eyes. He was thankful for whatever was there, because Alec relaxed ever so slightly, and heaved a sigh.

"Get on with it," He muttered.

* * *

The entire apartment smelled like one of Clary's cooking fits. There was vegetable stir fry, glazed chicken, rice, dumplings, and about two dozen chocolate chip cookies. There was something about spending long hours in the kitchen, stabbing food, that made Clary calm down. Violet was in the living room, trying to wrestle a belled collar on Poppy when the key started grinding in the lock.

"Daddy!" The little girl cried and flew to the door as it opened, flinging herself in her father's arms. He squeezed her tight until she squeeked, carrying her the rest of the way into the house, Alec and Magnus trailing behind him. Clary was the next one to run to Jace, kissing him and sandwiching Violet between them.

"Welcome home," She said, only taking a moment to linger before hugging the other two men, telling them that dinner was ready and waiting for them.

"If I never see another Silent Brother in my life it will be too soon. They should just do away with the whole order if you ask me," Jace said, setting Violet in her chair and taking his own at the head of the table.

"Yes blame them for saving you from being scared to death. If only they were prettier, no one would complain," Alec said, helping himself to the food.

"I wasn't scared to death," Jace argued.

"Of course not, just almost!" Alec teased, taking Magnus's hand under the table and giving it a squeeze. He was starting to worry about the warlock. He hadn't been the same since they returned from Idris and the trial of Blythe Le Rou. It had been quite an experience in and of itself. The woman crying and seething in turns. She confessed openly to many murders, then would cry out that she was betrayed by her master. When the question came of who the master was, there was no reply, no evidence that the woman ever even had one. The warlock herself couldn't even give a description. She had to be restrained and tried several times to kill anyone who got close enough. She was sentenced to death, and with her death Jace's health returned. She admitted to having poisoned his memories. No one wept to see the mad one beheaded.

"I'm just glad she's dead. I thought warlocks didn't tend to lose their grip on reality till they were very old," Jace said, directing the comment towards Magnus. They all looked at him, expecting some kind of magical explanation, or witty remark, but the warlock said nothing. He was looking down at his plate like a sullen teenager and pushing the food around in circles.

"Dearest?" Alec asked with such a concern in his voice Magnus wanted to scream. Yes, dearest, he was still so dear to someone he had blatantly wronged. Adelaide had disappeared, just as he promised her he would help her to do, but now the problem was that he couldn't find her again. Not that he was eager to give back Alec's memories, perhaps losing him in the process, and hunting her down to bring to justice. It was his battle every day, to try to know what the right thing to do here was. His moral compass had broken centuries ago.

"Oh I don't know, I allow myself bouts of insanity every couple of decades," Magnus said coming back to himself. Jace laughed and took it at that, but Alec was still gripping his hand rather tightly, and Clary had that damned maternal concern in her eyes. Life was easier when he alone was the bearer of his wickedness. Adelaide's words kept haunting him. _Haven't you realized yet your love means nothing?_ These shadowhunters were living testaments to the powers of love, what had Magnus's love ever defied? He was losing his grip, slipping into a depression he knew he couldn't hide much longer from Alec, not that he was doing an amazing job of hiding it now.

"I was thinking we should all go on a vacation," Clary said, thankfully shifting the conversation and focus away from Magnus. The smile on her face told Magnus she had done it on purpose. She had become so damn perceptive it was irritating, but supremely comforting.

"A vacation?" Jace mumbled through a mouth full of chicken.

"Yes! When is the last time we left the country besides to go to Idris?" She asked him.

"Our honeymoon?"

"Was in Idris!" She half shouted in dismay. She placed a hand on Jace's arm, putting on her pleading face. Alec might as well start packing his bags now, Jace would never refuse her. "We could take the whole family! Us, Vi, Alec and Magnus, even Izzy if we can pry her away from work. It would just be so nice to have a break for a while don't you think?"

"I say hell yes," Alec put forth.

"Language," Clary warned out of forced habit. Violet was giggling from her end of the table.

"Can we go to France?" Her small voice asked. Every adult turned to her at once and said no more forcefully than necessary. Violet's lip began to tremble. "But I just learned how to count to three in French!" She whined.

"Angel I was thinking something more along the lines of a sandy beach. Somewhere like Hawaii," Clary told her daughter gently.

"Like in Lilo and Stitch?" Violet asked brightly, bouncing up and down in her chair, curls shaking.

"Exactly!" Clary agreed.

"Oh daddy daddy please please please!" Violet pleaded, looking at Jace with a face that would break your heart to say no to.

"Hawaii isn't technically leaving the county darling, but I congratulate your methods. Recruiting the kid eh?" Jace asked. Clary leaned in very close, whispering in his ear so that he was the only one who could hear her.

"Say yes and we can spend every night there trying to make another one just as cute as her."

"Let's go on vacation," Jace said brightly, kissing his wife full on the mouth. Violet pretended to be disgusted by the whole thing.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to," Alec whispered to Magnus while the others were distracted. The warlock seemed so far away, he just wished he could do something to cheer him up. A vacation could be just what they needed. Something was wrong between them, and Alec had spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out what it could be. They had only recently reconciled, it couldn't be going downhill already? The thought made Alec want to be sick. He had waited so long to have Magnus back, what was pushing him away all of the sudden? Everything was fine, right?

"No we should go," Magnus said, trying to put on a bright face. Maybe the saltwater there would clear his head, give him the clear path to take. He knew Alec was worried sick, and now Clary suspected something was wrong as well. If he didn't get the jump on this he would lose it all regardless. He would lose his boyfriend for sure, but along with it the family that came with him. The people who, as much as they grated on his nerves at times, he had come to truly love and appreciate.

_Haven't you realized yet your love means nothing? _

* * *

**_DO NOT_**_ **PANIC! **_ **You're all ready to kill me right? I will reward you with the next chapter tomorrow for me putting you through this. I promise things will be okay, and my stories always have happy endings! For the most part ;) KIDDING I promise a happy ending for this one, just soldier on, feel emotions, don't trash talk me! Love you all you beautiful souls! **


	9. Tu Excors

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's note: So I wrote this out today and things happened, and I don't know just let me know what you think. **

* * *

**Chapter 8: Tu Excors**

It was late and the house was quiet. Magnus was sitting up in bed, aimlessly watching the fan blades whirl about. The beach house was nice, airy, and secluded. He couldn't have asked for a more ideal vacation really, excluding the fact that he was cracking up and his head was a battleground. He felt like everything these people did was reminding him of his own degeneracy. He had been included in the 'family photo' and Violet had started to call him Uncle Kitty, while totally adorable and endearing, it hurt his heart. He was going to lose it all and he knew it. Adelaide had made sure that this would always haunt him. He would never fully be rid of her as long as this nightmare was living inside him, he alone knowing it. He looked over to Alec, who had been sleeping soundly all night. He couldn't lose him, he would not allow it.

"Alec," He said, shaking his boyfriend gently by the shoulder. "Alec wake up."

"Hmm," Alec mumbled, tiredly swatting Magnus's hand away.

"Baby please wake up," Magnus said, shaking him slightly again till he could see the hazy blue of his eyes opening.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked quietly, sleep still thick in his voice. He looked over and noticed it was just shy of four in the morning.

"Let's go watch the sunrise," Magnus suggested. Alec was used to spur of the moment ideas from his boyfriend, but he had rather been enjoying his sleep.

"It won't come up for a couple of hours," He said, stifling a yawn.

"I know, I just need to talk to you about some things. Please?"

Magnus rarely said please so often, so Alec groaned and sat up in bed, kissing Magnus on the cheek before going to get dressed. He wasn't sure what these important things were that needed to be discussed at this unholy hour, but he would listen just the same. Anything to get Magnus to open up to him really. Since they've arrived the warlock had a black cloud hovering about him, so quiet, it was unnatural. Clary had asked Alec a million times what had happened between them. That was when he first remembered something had happened, he just couldn't put his finger on what it was, and every time he tried to remember, he forgot again.

"Are you just going to watch me get dressed or are you actually going to follow through with this plan? Because I'm already out of bed," Alec said with a smirk, throwing his shirt at the warlock. Magnus actually smiled, and put the shirt on himself.

"Lovely," He mused, getting out of bed to locate pants.

* * *

The walk down to the beach was quiet, but hand in hand and content. Magnus wasn't sure what he was going to say, how he was going to bring it up. He took solace in the fact that Alec was completely unarmed. It had to get worse before it got better, but he couldn't lie to his boyfriend anymore. He had to make sure that no matter what, no matter how mad Alec got, that this wouldn't destroy them. There was a tiny voice in the back of his head that whispered sinisterly, _it already has. _

"So what did you want to talk about?" Alec asked tentatively.

"I love you," Magnus said, wanting Alec to hear that at least one more time before he explained what had really happened.

"I love you too," Alec said, questions written all over his face.

"I would do anything for you. You might not believe that but I really would. Even if it was something horrible," Magnus said. Alec stopped and took his hand back, raising his eyebrows.

"What on earth are you talking about? You've been scaring the hell out of me for weeks," Alec demanded. He was already getting angry.

"I lied to you, about things you can't ever forgive me for," Magnus said. It didn't make him feel better in the slightest. Alec plopped in the sand out of nowhere, and looked up at Magnus.

"Just tell the whole fucking story before I lose it," Alec said. Magnus suddenly felt young, it was strange. It was not in an exhilarating way either, but in a helpless way. He was older than Alec by leaps and bounds, but staring at the man, looking up at him for an explanation, made him feel like a child who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. If only it were that simple. He sat in front of him in the sand dejectedly, ready to face his doom.

"Blythe Le Rou was set up by a woman named Adelaide the Enchantress, the High Warlock of Paris. She was the one who portaled to the city, bringing her lover Constantine, and Blythe, with her. The hellhound is hers, and Blythe was just the poor kid she pinned it on. She was the one who murdered Silone Morville, as well as a list of others. Blythe kidnapped you, and Adelaide used you to get me to keep a debt I owed her. She came to me to hide her, and I did it. She needed a completely new identity, and my word around the underworld that she was credible. I hid the memory of it from you. The spell would wear off naturally in time, or I could remove it myself, whichever you prefer," Magnus told him straightforwardly as he dared. Watching the information sink in was what was worse.

"You were inside my head?" Alec asked suddenly in a panic, standing up and backing away from Magnus as if he were a monster. The pain that alone caused Magnus was immeasurable. Alec had never looked at him like that, ever. As if he were one of the creatures that went bump in the night.

"It was part of her terms, they would have killed you. I did what I thought was right," Magnus tried to explain, and stood as well, but Alec took another step back.

"You harbored a fugitive who killed my people Magnus! How could you think that was right? And then you just… you just took that from me! We could have figured something out together, but you wouldn't even give me that fucking chance?!"

"At the time you let me do it, and if I didn't take the memory, Constantine would have. His spells leave nasty side effects. You saw what happened to Jace! I was trying to protect you, we can figure this out now!" Magnus pleaded.

"It's too late," Alec said out of breath.

"Alec please, they had you kneeling in chains in front of me. I did what it took to get you back, and I'm sorry if in your eyes you think I made a mistake. I couldn't let her have you Alec, you don't understand what she's like," Magnus told him. If Alec could just see reason, just see that it was the only way, then they could get past it. They had to get past it.

"Why did you wait so long to tell the truth if it was the right thing to do," Alec demanded to know. Everything was always black and white with him, wrong and right. There was no room for the gray haze amongst shadowhunters. What was that funny little saying they had about the law? It started poking at Magnus's temper, to hear his sweet Alec sound like such a trained soldier.

"I signed a contract in blood," Magnus said, not so apologetic this time. He was getting angry now too, this was spiraling horribly in the wrong direction. _You're going to lose him Magnus stop it_.

"We'll go back to the Institute, I'm sure Isabelle would love to hear all about it," Alec said, distant and frigid, not meeting Magnus in the eye.

"You're going to turn me over to the Clave?"

"That woman you hid was a criminal. You will confess it to the Clave and unveil her to be brought to justice. I'm sure with all you've done for them over the years, you will be granted leniency," Alec said. His voice sounded alien and heartless.

"You would do that to me?" Magnus asked, shocked out of his own anger. Alec was visibly wrestling to keep control of himself, tremors shaking his hands. Magnus approached him slowly, like one who was trying to sneak up on a lion. He ghosted a hand lightly over one of Alec's shoulders, wanting so badly to touch him, but fearing what might happen if he did. "If I reveal her to the Clave, the contract alone would kill me. Besides, do you really think the Clave is going to look kindly on it either? Don't do this to me," He begged. Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn did not beg, but tonight he expected he would be doing plenty.

It seemed like an eternity before Alec's breath shuddered out, and he dropped his head quite roughly onto Magnus's chest. If there was ever a moment the warlock believed in miracles, this was it. Alec was clutching to him painfully, and he was sure he could hear him muttering_, you fucking idiot_, in a cacophony of languages. He was practically faint with the rush of relief that swept over him. He felt like somehow he had just defied all laws of nature, even though he technically did that daily. Alec straightened and shoved Magnus a little roughly, but not hard enough to hurt.

"You fucking idiot! First I want my memories back," Alec shouted.

"Of course, let's just go inside an-"

"Shut up! You don't get to talk right now," Alec commanded. Magnus was not used to feeling so inferior in a situation. In a twisted way he enjoyed it, but that was a secret he would keep to himself.

"You're going to fucking kill me you know that? I love you too much to even do the right fucking thing!" Magnus wasn't particularly fond of Alec's newfound use of vulgar language, but he was currently locked in silence. "We have to find that contract and destroy it, we have to destroy her. Oh for the Angel's sake, how are we even going to fix this? Why are you just staring at me?" He snapped, getting close enough to make the warlock think he was going to hit him.

"You told me to shut up," Magnus defended himself stupidly. Alec reached up and pulled him down for a kiss, holding him there till they were both breathless.

"What am I going to do with you?" Alec asked, still holding onto the back of Magnus's neck, breathing hard.

"Forgive me?" The warlock asked, just needing the reassurance that it was all going to be okay.

"I've done worse to you," Alec said, half smiling, the anger finally seeming to fade. Magnus laughed slightly, too weak to really react. "You're going to start letting me in there," Alec said, tapping a finger to Magnus's temple.

"I promise," He said vehemently, "Anything you want to know."

They sat on the beach long past sunrise, talking about everything.

* * *

It was somewhere around noon when Magnus and Alec returned to the house. Alec was a little pink in the cheeks from so much sun, but he was happy again. After all how could he not forgive Magnus after waiting eight years for him to pull his head out of his ass? He wasn't going to take steps backwards, and whatever hell storm was to come, they would get through it together. He hated that Magnus had been inside his head, but he believed the warlock when he said he touched nothing but what needed to be. Like he had told him, he loved him too much to do the right thing, loved him too much to even do the sensible thing.

"Shit, are we going to tell them?" Alec asked, hand on the doorknob. The sound of Violet laughing was clearly heard, and Clary shouting something at Jace.

"If we do we have to keep this contained, and we can't tell Isabelle," Magnus told him.

"Why not Iz?"

"She is an Institute Head, and there for a leader amongst the Clave. I have a feeling her finding out would be a breach of contract. She's going to have to sit this one out," Magnus said.

"She will know we're all up to something, but I understand why we can't tell her."

The door opened suddenly, Clary standing behind it hands on hips. There was a sly smile across her face, but she was clearly trying to look intimidating.

"You two missed breakfast. Where were you?" She asked.

"Sex on the beach," Magnus said nonchalantly and sauntered past her. Alec just shrugged and followed suit, not missing the huge smile on Clary's face. She had been in a rather elated mood lately.

"Uncle Kitty I made daddy a princess!" Violet said, circling Jace on the floor. Indeed he had on a quite lovely dress that Clary had worn the night before, over his blue jeans. There was lipstick and eye shadow on his face, as well as a small tiara atop his hair that was sticking out wildly. Violet had gotten into her mother's make-up quite obviously.

"I'm the fairest in all the land!" Jace declared.

"I think you're missing some glitter," Magnus mused, snapping his fingers and raining silver glitter down on Jace. Violet squealed and ran over to the warlock, pulling on the edges of the shirt he was wearing.

"Oh do me!" She cried, bouncing up and down. Magnus complied readily and Clary ran to grab her camera. He couldn't believe he had almost destroyed all this. He had imposed himself into many groups over the years, had many friends and lovers and people surrounding him, but this was different. They were a real family, and one that was readily inviting Magnus into it. Embracing him, loving him. It was the most pleasant thing on earth. It almost made him feel human.

* * *

They were all back in New York, tanned and relaxed, but ready to go back to work. Alec and Jace had quite a few hunts to go on, and Clary had work to catch up on at the Institute as well. Magnus, not really wanting to be at the loft, had taken up residence in Alec's apartment, looking for ways to break the contract with Adelaide. He would even settle for a scrap of news about the new warlock couple, Pauline and Javier Monterey, the aliases Magnus had given Adelaide and Constantine, but had no such luck. She had gone underground.

"You've taken over my bed," Alec pointed out, walking into the room in full gear. Magnus was sitting in the middle of the bed with papers and books, and what looked like a few scrolls, scattered all about him.

"You're bleeding," Magnus said mildly, not taking his eyes off the script in front of him. It was true just as well, Alec did have a large gash in his side.

"I know," He replied, flopping onto the end of the bed so he could strip his gear. His side was sore, and his hands fumbling until Magnus's own cool and diligent ones took over. Alec relaxed and leaned back on him. He was exhausted from tracking a feral werewolf through Chinatown half the night. It was rather obvious that neither him nor Magnus had been sleeping very well since back in the city. There was just so much work to do. The load was lightened, for Clary and Jace had been told the truth about Adelaide, but finding the Enchantress was proving to be a monumental task, and Magnus was the one who hid her! Not to mention the ordeal of concealing the whole thing from Isabelle.

He felt the chilly sensation of Magnus's healing magic mending up his side, making him feel slightly light headed like it always did. After he just sat there, practically asleep sitting up. Magnus's hand thumped him on the chest.

"Alright bed you," He said. Alec just shook his head mournfully.

"Can't I sleep like this?" He asked.

"Nope," Magnus chided and bit Alec on the neck. It made the shadowhunter sit up quickly.

"You're so cruel to me," Alec wined. For some reason Magnus loved Alec when he was really tired. He turned into all softness and needing. It was one of the only times he would ever let Magnus really take care of him without putting up a fight.

"I am absolutely evil," Magnus agreed. He had gone around to the foot of the bed and removed Alec's boots. One quick tug and the pants were off as well. He looked sorrowfully at all the papers everywhere, he so would have loved to stay up late into the night and continue his research, but Alec was already looking up at him with those big blue eyes. With a snap of the fingers the paperwork was vanished to the living room, and he pulled Alec into bed with him.

"Was that Chairman Meow on the counter when I walked in?" Alec asked when they were laying down, as if the fact just dawned on him.

"Yes it was, I couldn't very well leave him all by himself. Besides he's enamored with Violet's little yellow tabby, it would be a tragedy to separate them now," Magnus said, stroking small circles into Alec's shoulder. He felt him laugh.

"So what are you two moving in now?" Alec asked, clearly being sarcastic.

Magnus though, couldn't help but think it was a good idea. Catastrophic maybe, because the closets in this place were a joke, and it was much too small to accommodate all of Magnus's junk, but still a good idea. They spent every waking moment together anyhow between here and the loft. It would make sense just to be living together. They could perhaps get a whole new place, somewhere private and spacious where they could establish a life together. Was it too soon to be thinking about things like that? He could just imagine mentioning it to Alec and watching all the color drain out of his face.

"Magnus?"

"Sorry, no not moving in dearest. Unless of course you asked me," Magnus teased, coming back to the present.

"Do you want to move in?" Alec asked simply. Magnus sat up and stared at him, was this kid for real? Alec must have misinterpreted the look because his face became panicked and he started the totally adorable habit of his by over-explaining what he meant.

"I mean I know the closets aren't nearly big enough, and the bathroom is a joke, but I already cleared out that dresser for you. Can you believe all the clothes I own can fit in that stupid hope chest? And if you'd like I could convert the spare room into your study and-" He was silenced by a kiss that he swear he felt in his bones. Magnus's hands were gentle along Alec's jaw, and he couldn't help but think this was exactly what love felt like. That subtle mixture of tenderness, urgency, and passion.

"We'll make it work," Magnus said when he pulled back for breath. The warlock was simply elated, when was Alec ever going to stop amazing him? He snapped his fingers and the room was suddenly a rainbow and leather explosion of clothing, some piles stacked higher than the bed.

"Holy shit!" Alec said, but he was laughing.

"I've always had a fantasy of having sex with you atop glorious mounds of expensive clothing. I suppose my own will have to do," He said as if it were all a tragedy. Alec just smirked before pushing his boyfriend off the bed and pouncing on top of him.

* * *

**Ending on a happy note, isn't that lovely? The best is yet to come! Please please leave me a review! And thank you all so much for reading! Two days in a row again? I spoil you.**


	10. Into the Water

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Have some nice fluffy stuff, then some plot and a surprise character! Then more plot like things. Sorry about the rushed ending, I wanted to post it tonight and I was getting tired! **

* * *

**Chapter 9: Into the Water  
**

Moving in together turned out to be quite the challenge. There wasn't enough room, they started fighting constantly, and they altogether stopped having sex. It was a nightmare that Alec started regretting as the weeks tolled by and turned into months. Adelaide was all but forgotten, with the mess that life was right now. Eventually though things smoothed out. They developed a routine, boundaries, and before they knew it Alec wasn't even sure how he ever lived without Magnus. To come home to those beautiful feline eyes every night was a gift. He woke up next to Magnus every morning, and their lives eventually meshed until they were just two halves of a whole, on sync and in harmony. He had never loved Magnus more.

Life was moving forwards. Clary was pregnant again, making Jace almost unbearably happy. Why the two of them got so much joy out of procreating, Alec would never understand. If this kid was as amazing as Violet though, then he would be happy as well. Isabelle was doing spectacular with the Institute, and even seeing a new mystery man that she would tell no one about. It seemed everyone was marching on, the incident with the French Enchantress already a memory.

"Alec, darling, could you come here a moment," Magnus called from the spare room. Alec had done a great job of converting it into a study, adding plenty of shelves and even a desk, built by hand. Magnus had rather enjoyed hovering around Alec while he had done the work, his fix it man.

"Yes?" Alec said poking his head in the door.

"We're watching Violet tonight so Clary and Jace can go out for their anniversary," Magnus informed him, still reading a thick and rustic book on his desk. His brows were furrowed in concentration.

"Shit I forgot all about that," Alec said, feeling slightly guilty. He had been working with Maia and Kyle for the past week though, trying to scope out an illicit infrit den that was pouring poisons into the city in droves. They were becoming quite a problem, problem enough that the wolves had been brought on to help out.

"I signed the gift from both of us," Magnus said off handedly. He looked so serious and studious. Alec came all the way into the room and sat on the edge of the desk, reaching down and slowly closing the book. Magnus looked up at him affronted.

"You've been in here all day. Let's take a break," Alec suggested.

"And do what?" Magnus sighed, running a hand across his face.

Alec was going to answer with quite a few dirty ideas when the buzzer went off. He cursed under his breath and went to answer it. Clary was standing there, pretty as a picture in a white flowing dress, Violet standing in front of her in green alien pajamas, pink bathrobe, and bright orange cat slippers. She had a little purple backpack on that was shaped like a flower, and Poppy in her arms, to visit with Chairman Meow of course. Alec stepped aside to let them in, Violet running into the apartment in search of Magnus's cat.

"As long as she comes back in one piece, and with no extra body parts, than that's all I can ask," Clary said, she seemed to be in a rush, but she was still absolutely glowing. He could hear Jace locking up downstairs and yelling for her to hurry, apparently they were already late.

"You can trust us," Alec reassured her. Clary kissed him on the cheek and turned to leave, calling back for Violet to be good. Somewhere from inside the apartment Violet screeched that she would be.

"Tell Magnus thanks. I would have left her with Izzy, but she's in a fit," Clary said, reaching the stairwell.

"About what?" Alec asked before closing and locking the door. Clary just shrugged, just another of Isabelle's moods apparently. "Have fun!"

Alec went back into the apartment to find Magnus and Violet laying on their stomach's on the floor of the study. Magnus was making little butterfly shaped bubbles that were dancing on the air, much to the child's delight. Alec watched them quietly for a second, just amazed to see how great his boyfriend was with his niece. It was very sweet. When Violet noticed him though, she jumped to her feet and launched herself at him. He was used to this sort of thing and caught her easily, shifting her weight to balance her on one hip.

"So what do you want to do tonight angel?" Alec asked her.

"It's the Chairman's and Poppy's wedding night Uncle Alec," She told him quite seriously. Magnus held up her backpack and pulled a small white dress out of it, looking like it was perhaps meant for a doll, but could be shoved on a dejected cat if necessary.

"I'm sure it's going to be a lovely ceremony," Magnus said with mock seriousness.

The living room got turned into a living tent of pillows and blankets and a small throw pillow alter where the cats were to be 'married.' The reception contained copious amounts of pizza and ice cream, as well as a rather enchanting dance number performed by Violet. She had spent a significant amount of time picking out outfits for both Magnus and Alec out of the overstuffed closet, and had taken a ton of pictures. The night had ended with the two adults falling asleep sitting up on the couch, Violet sandwiched between them.

* * *

"For the last time Molly, you can't be roaming around the restricted section of the library unless you have my permission, and you don't," Isabelle told the girl. Molly didn't look sorry, but she muttered an apology anyways. While Isabelle was glad to have another shadowhunter at the Institute, and especially one that was going to stay full time, she sometimes wished Molly would have returned to Idris with her parents. The girl seemed to have nothing more to say, so Izzy dismissed her. She was beginning to get a migraine. Making it even better, the great bell of the Institute gonged out heavily. _Great more visitors_, She thought glumly.

By the time she reached the door her migraine was full out throbbing inside her head. She just needed to start sleeping more, or perhaps think of hiring another trainer full time. She was taking on more work than she could honestly handle. She opened the door slowly, looking out into the night and not seeing anything. Annoyed, she took a step out of the door and whirled her head around. Was this a joke? But there was someone there, standing at the bottom of the stairs and looking up at her intently. All the color drained from her face and she thought for a moment she would fall down all the stairs. Instead she ran down them, and threw her arms around his neck, feeling the cold skin beneath, giving her arms goosebumps.

"It's good to see you to Isabelle," Simon said, stroking her hair softly. She didn't want to ever let go, but she couldn't allow herself weakness right now, especially when she knew he wouldn't be staying long. He never did.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, stepping back. She was aware that she was already crying, but she ignored it. Some things just couldn't be helped.

"I need to talk to you about what happened to Blythe Le Rou," Simon said gently. Isabelle should have known better than to think he was here just to see her. That would be too good to be true.

"What about her?" She asked him.

"I think she was innocent," Simon told her. "She was definitely a lunatic, but she didn't murder Silone Morville, or Beaudroux."

"How would you know that?" Isabelle asked.

"Last week a vampire from Paris came into town. His name is Julian Lizare, he was Beaudroux's right hand, and watched the man get murdered, by Adelaide the Enchantress. He had too much pride to go to the Clave, but he did come to me. He thinks she is hiding somewhere within the city," He informed her. Isabelle had heard of the warlock before, and her being responsible made just as much sense as Blythe having been responsible. The woman had kept raving she had been betrayed by her master, was Adelaide that master? Isabelle's mind was already calculating.

"Will he meet with me? This Julian fellow I mean," Izzy asked, all business now.

"He detests Nephilim Isabelle," Simon told her.

"If you're there will he? Wouldn't he feel safe having a clan leader at his side?"

"I don't know if I can do that Iz," Simon said looking down. The years hadn't aged him physically of course, but Simon now had the air of a man about him. He was cold and regal as a vampire, just by nature, but there was always a sunshine in Simon that Isabelle cherished. When he became the leader of the Manhattan clan, and Isabelle started training to be Institute head, they had drifted apart. He left town often, leaving those under him in command, only staying in New York for short periods of time. There was no way they could have stayed together anyways, both had too much responsibility in their new roles in life, as well as the new roles in life not meshing well together. She never would have been named Head if she was still so entangled and in love with a vampire. That was the secret though, she would always be in love with him. It was why she had worked so hard to get Magnus and Alec back together, she knew the pain of losing someone who would live on without you for centuries to come. Someone who meant everything to you, that circumstances blocked from having any real chance with them.

"Have you gone to see Clary yet?" She asked him instead, and very quietly. Simon kept little contact with anyone anymore. He was a wound both women suffered with.

"No," Simon said. He reached out and cupped the back of Isabelle's head, looking at her in the eyes. There was nothing more to say, but everything left unspoken.

"Well thanks for telling me about Adelaide, I'll look into it right away," She said to him and pulled away, turning towards the Institute before she became hysterical with tears. A cold hand grasped hers though, and she turned back to see Simon sighing.

"If we're going to talk to Julian then there is no time like the present," He said to her, smiling crookedly. She leapt at him and hugged him tight, just happy to have a few more moments with him.

"Thank you," She whispered into his neck.

* * *

_Molly landed hard on the floor, sending jolting pain into her knees. She didn't have time to stop and think about that though, they had to get out of here and get help for Jace. That woman looked like she had death in her eyes. Molly grabbed Zeke's hand and started tugging him towards the stairs. He was limping pretty badly, perhaps had sprained an ankle. Molly fumbled in her pocket for her stele, then remembered that Zeke had yet to turn twelve. She couldn't sketch an iratze on someone who hadn't received their first marks yet. She kept pulling him on, using an arm around her shoulders to support him. They reached the top of the stairs and froze. Their standing at the bottom, was a pair of feral red eyes surrounded by smoke, accompanied by frothing jaws. The creature let out an eerie howl and solidified, taking the form of a great dog. _

_Molly wasted no time running back down the hall, there had to be some other way to get downstairs. She could hear claws tearing into the stairs, and the growling of the beast hot on her trail. She ducked into an open doorway and nearly dropped to the first floor and onto a broken piano. The room had no floor. She wasn't sure if her legs could take another drop like that, but it was their only way. Zeke started to step back, but Molly couldn't let that happen. _

"_I'm sorry Z," She said and pushed him down. He landed forwards on the piano. For a panicked second she thought she killed him, till he turned over. The worst she had done was broken his nose. She jumped next, missing the piano and landing sharply on the floor. She let out a few curses, but the adrenaline running through her veins propelled her to her feet. She grabbed Zeke by the arm and half dragged him from the room. Seconds later there was a loud crash, the demon had jumped down after them. _

_Molly ran for the door as fast as she could. She wasn't sure she was going to make it, Zeke was hurt, and they couldn't gain any speed. She reached down and grabbed the leg of a broken stool, turning sharply around a corner and shoving Zeke into the wall. He slid to the floor, and she waited for the demon to follow them. She took out her stele and drew a tracking rune on the jagged edge of the wood. She had just set her stele back in her pocket when the demon went barreling past them. Molly struck out as hard as she could, lodging the makeshift weapon deep into the demon's hind quarters. It let out a howl and slumped, one of it's back legs weakened. Molly and Zeke had already ran, clearing the door and making it to the street before the demon swiveled it's head around and broke off the small chunk of wood that was sticking out of it's leg. It wasn't permitted to leave the house. _

Molly couldn't shake the memory. It haunted her. When Jace had gotten sick she knew it was her fault. She didn't tell anyone what had happened that night, and swore Zeke to secrecy as well. He left a few weeks later, and Molly became obsessed with the hellhound. She wanted it dead. It killed her sister, and it was still out there roaming. She knew Blythe Le Rou wasn't it's master, else it would have been banished with her death. It's life force was tied to the warlock who truly commanded it. Molly had studied the things immensely, late at night when Isabelle Lightwood went to sleep.

She had tracked it, all over the city, but could never get close enough. She had seen it's master, a woman with short red hair, and a man with long black hair and horns like a bull. They were warlocks, and they didn't stay still for long. They were hiding from something.

Tonight they were acting quite curious, lingering around a large pond. They were watching the moon, waiting for the right angle on the water. The hound was sitting between them obediently. Molly never took her eyes off it from her hiding spot. She was close enough to smell the sulfur. She watched as the couple took each other by the hand and walked to the center of the lake, then vanished. That's why she couldn't get a clear track in weeks. They were taking up residence in the Seelie Court.

* * *

They were all sitting in Alec's cluttered living room. Clary looked guilty, not having liked to have lied to her parabatai for so long, but both boys had taken it as a joke. Magnus seemed distant, he had been listening to Isabelle scream for hours. She knew the truth, how she figured it out, she wouldn't say. Magnus had told her over and over again that he couldn't be the one to tell her, but whichever way she found out was apparently no breach of contract, because he was still alive.

"I just don't understand how you lost her," Isabelle said for the hundredth time.

"I'm going to zap you to Cuba if you say that again," Magnus warned, he was losing his patience.

"It's going to look bad on the Clave for having killed an innocent woman," She said sitting down on the floor.

"I wouldn't say she wasn't deserving," Jace put in.

"We could keep it quiet, until we find Adelaide at least," Clary suggested.

"I hate to admit it, but that does seem the best option," Alec agreed. Isabelle nodded her consent, but she was clearly still angry. She didn't like being lied to.

"We have bigger problems," Iz said sheepishly.

"What?" Alec asked her flatly. Was she hiding something too?

"There is a vampire here in the city hunting her too. He's particularly vicious, and doesn't want Adelaide to be brought to Clave justice. He wants her to return to Paris and answer to her crimes before the Clan there. He already tried to threaten me away from her," Isabelle admitted. Magnus sat forward anxiously, he didn't like where this was going.

"Was his name Julian Lizare?" He asked, already knowing the truth.

"Yes, how did you know that?" She asked shocked.

"When Adelaide took me in, she already had another young man under her control. It was Julian, a newly turned vampire who was hopelessly in love with her. He didn't know about Constantine, or the games the two of them liked to play. It was like watching a mouse fall in a snake pit. He fled Paris eventually, not returning for many years, and then when he did he was at Beaudroux's bosom, untouchable. He wants revenge on Adelaide for more than one reason. I highly doubt he means to return her to Paris," Magnus explained to them.

"She'll be hunted on all sides then. I say whoever gets to her first should get the pleasure. She sounds like a royal cunt," Jace said. Nobody really disagreed.

"I'm so exhausted," Clary said suddenly. She did look rather pale. Of course after that they were all pulled back to the present. It had been a long loud few hours, and it was very late. Jace went to his wife and helped her out of her seat.

"Let's just all meet at the Institute tomorrow and we can figure out a game plan," Jace put forwards. They agreed that was for the best, and left. The apartment felt breathable when Magnus and Alec were once again the only occupants. Alec flopped down onto the couch, half on top of his boyfriend.

"Carry me to the bed," He mumbled, he was much too tired to stand up again.

"I think it's your turn to carry me," Magnus pouted. Neither one of them moved, and eventually they fell asleep just like that. Everything could be figured out tomorrow.

* * *

**Alright guys, first off, yes the red head chick and guy with long black hair are the newly transformed Adelaide and Constantine! That sneaky Molly found them! But my question is, was anyone excited to see Simon? I had a rather lovely idea of doing a Sizzy spin off where they rekindle, set in the same fluffy world as this fic, but after the events of it. What do y'all think? Or are all you guys just hard core Malec fanatics? Ship names make me laugh. Love you all!  
**


	11. Small Voices

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the positive feedback guys! Also I need MORE MORE! I NEED LOVE TO SUSTAIN ME!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Small Voices  
**

Alec woke up on the floor, with a purple nailed hand in his face. He pushed it away and rolled over into the coffee table. He was sore all over; passing out that way was not good for him. He much rather would have slept in his nice down supported mattress. He sat up slowly and looked around to see Magnus, peacefully sprawled out on the couch. His shoes were still on.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, surprised it stayed in there all night, and looked at the screen. He already had six messages from Isabelle.

"Magnus do you want coffee," Alec said rising and stretching his arms as far as they would go. There were some unhealthy sounding popping noises he chose to ignore.

"Hmph," Magnus grunted and waved a hang vaguely, making two large steaming black cups appear on the table. He sat up like Frankenstein, eyes close and reached out one of his hands. Alec just laughed and placed one of the cups in it, taking the other one for himself. He went and sat behind Magnus and let the warlock lean back on him. Mornings were always a battle, it was hard to get his boyfriend out of bed, let alone off a couch he probably got a bad night of sleep on.

"What time is it?" Magnus grumbled.

"Nine thirty," Alec supplied. Magnus just groaned and rubbed the base of his hand into his eye sleepily. He smeared his eyeliner horribly, but didn't seem to care, and didn't open his eyes yet. Alec loved these little imperfect moments from his boyfriend, because he so rarely saw him in them.

"We have to get to the Institute soon before Izzy explodes," Alec told him, kissing him gently on the temple. Magnus finally opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I wish I would have killed Adelaide the moment I saw her instead of letting her run my life in such a scornful manner."

"The faster she's gone the better," Alec said agreeably, then untangled himself from the couch and stood, offering a hand to help Magnus up. "Let's go take a shower." That seemed to be enough incentive to get the warlock up and moving.

He let Alec tug him down the hall, but Magnus was feeling particularly frisky. He kept grabbing at Alec's ass, or biting his neck, the two of them downright acting like a pair of hormonal teenagers, which was how they often acted together anyways. Magnus leaned against the wall, inches from the bathroom door and pulled Alec to him, kissing him full and deep. He could feel Alec smile against his lips.

"What?" The warlock asked, smiling as well.

"I can feel your erection on my hip bone," Alec said laughing, leaning forward again for another kiss. Magnus granted it to him, between breathes he told him all the things he wanted to do to him. He was surprised to see Alec flush, it had been a very long time since he had been able to bring about that glorious blush.

"C'mon let's get in the shower," Alec said, trying to pull Magnus into the bathroom.

"I want to take you right here," Magnus challenged, refusing to move.

"If you take me in the shower it will be like killing two bones with one stone."

"Two bones?" Magnus asked, outright laughing.

"Birds, I meant birds," Alec corrected, but was laughing too.

"Alright then, let's go kill those bones," Magnus teased, finally relenting and entering the bathroom.

* * *

Clary and Jace were the last to arrive at the Institute, Violet in tow. They couldn't find a babysitter, even Jocelyn was busy. So the four year old was allowed to the meeting, sitting at the desk in the library and coloring studiously in a Monster Inc. coloring book. The adults were all noticeably tired looking, even if for all completely different reasons. Isabelle's eyes were even slightly puffy, what was going on with her lately? It wasn't like Isabelle to cry, and certainly not so often as she had been doing in the past 48 hours.

"I was up half the night trying to think of something none of us have come up with yet," Isabelle said, pouring herself some coffee.

"What did you come up with?" Clary asked.

"Nothing," Izzy said dejectedly.

"Don't feel bad, I've been working on it since she's left. I've tried tracking her, but she won't be found unless she wants to be. Constantine is almost impossible to track, I'm sure he is made up of nothing more than smoke and madness, and the hellhound I haven't even encountered yet, so I can't track that either," Magnus told her.

"Where did you send her originally, we could work our way from there?" Clary suggested.

"Originally the pair of them were staying with an old not so friend of mine, but they've been gone for weeks, and the trail makes no sense and ends dead."

"Perhaps we could trickle some kind of foul rumor about them into the Downworld, something to ferret them out," Jace said, chewing loudly on a croissant. He could trust the cooking at the Institute once again now that they had a cook here full time.

"It would probably only add to their mystery. The Downworld doesn't just spit people back out for the pleasure of the Nephilim," Magnus said.

"What about Julian? How much did he seem to know? Because we could just track him and lead us right to her," Alec said.

"Julian is very old Alec, and far too smart to not see that coming," Isabelle put forth. "I met with him just the once but the contact still gives me shivers. I don't want to ensnare him in our half of this hunt unless necessary."

Clary could feel a tugging on her jeans, Violet was trying to get her attention. "Not now sweetie this is a very important meeting," She said trying to shoo her.

"But mommy I saw something!" Violet insisted. She was always saying stuff like that though, she had an even more wild imagination than Clary herself had at that age.

"Not now angel," Clary said.

"But mommy someone is watching you!"

That got Clary's attention, and sure enough out of the corner of her eye she saw a blonde swath of hair retreating from over the edge of the upper level of the library. Everyone was still talking, and Clary excused herself quietly, taking time to deposit Violet back in her seat before silently creeping up the stairs. She snuck around the gallery till she saw Molly Starwell, crouched in a corner and looking very guilty. She stood up when she saw Clary though, she knew she had been caught.

"Downstairs young lady," Clary said pointing. Oh by the Angel, when had she started sounding like her mom? When had she become such a..such a mom!?

"Not again Molly!" Isabelle fumed when she saw the girl decend the staircase. She marched over to her and grabbed her by the arm, giving her a ferociously quick lecture on rule breaking and the like. Molly kept trying to cut in, but anyone who could get a word over Isabelle, without shouting, would be some kind of hero. So that's what Molly did, she shouted.

"Would you listen to me!?" Molly screamed, silencing the room. She hated to having to resort to raising her voice, but adults never listened to her, especially not Isabelle.

"What is it?" Clary asked, trying to be gentle and stare down Isabelle at the same time. Her parabatai was almost purple in anger.

"I know where Adelaide is," Molly said in a quiet voice. All of the adults were on their feet then. There was a series of shouting and arguing, and Violet had even ducked underneath the desk. Isabelle seemed ready to ship Molly back to Idris right then. Molly supremely hoped she would not, because being away from her parents and being on this hunt made her realize something. She was going to be a great shadowhunter someday, and she would make her sister's memory proud.

"Where is she Molly," Clary asked, clasping her by the shoulders and looking deep into the girl's eyes.

"She is in the Seelie Court," Molly told her, the room grew silent very slowly.

"Fuck," Magnus said, thumping down into his seat and burying his head in his hands. No one in this room had fond memories of the Seelie Queen.

"You know this for sure?" Clary asked.

"Yes. I stabbed that hellhound with a chunk of wood that had a tracking rune on it. It must have stayed lodged under his skin. I watched them enter the court with my own eyes."

"Molly that was dangerous, why didn't you come to us?" Clary asked.

"You tried didn't you? But I was always telling you to get lost, or yelling at you. By the Angel Molly I'm so sorry," Isabelle said. Molly didn't even care that Isabelle had been always annoyed with her, most adults didn't have time for a silly thirteen year old girl. Even though Isabelle was her hero now and she hated feeling like a burden to her.

"Wait a second, when did you encounter the hound?" Alec asked her.

"I..uhm.." She wasn't sure exactly what to say here.

"When she was with me," Jace said, ready for the shouting to pick back up.

"WHAT?!" Clary fumed, whirling on him. "You took a little girl with you to that house?"

"A little boy too," Jace said brazenly.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Clary screamed, getting red in the face. "She's just a kid, she could have been killed!"

"When I was that age-"

"It's not the same and you fucking know it!" She fumed.

"Language," Jace said evenly, but with a cocked brow. He always did that, triggered her temper, and while usually Alec found it funny, right now he wished Jace would just stop. Clary was practically radiating steam.

"Get out! Get your daughter and get out!" She demanded. Violet looked up then, she hadn't really been listening. She always tuned everything out and was in a world of her own. Adults screamed around her a lot, she was in a family full of hotheads. Jace stood and went to scoop up Vi. She was balanced on a him when he stopped and tried to give his wife a kiss on the cheek. She turned away.

"We all got back in one piece," He said quietly.

"What if that had been Violet huh? Would you have taken her then?"

"Baby," He said.

"We can talk about this at home," She said. It was final, and he left with slumped shoulders. Violet wasn't too happy to be leaving either.

"Clary it really was my fault. I begged him to take me I swear," Molly said, seemingly having found her voice again.

"It's both your fault. But he especially should have known better."

"Molly I think you should go to your room, we'll discuss this later in private," Isabelle told the girl. Molly looked like she would argue, but knew that it would be a bad idea just now. So she left too, leaving the four of them in silence.

"So, Adelaide is in the one place she probably knows none of us are welcome in," Clary said, breaking the silence and sitting back down. Her cheeks weren't so red anymore.

"She is part of the reason the Seelie Queen hates me so much. I was supposed to die in Adelaide's employ, and she is furious I survived. It's something she's never forgotten or forgiven me for," Magnus explained.

"How noble of her," Alec muttered.

"That could be our play," Isabelle said, face lighting up.

"Whatever do you mean?" Magnus said in a form of slow exasperation.

"All you immortal people hold grudges forever! Literally. Maybe Adelaide's position there is not as safe as we think, maybe she has also never forgiven Adelaide for allowing you to live. From what I know of the Fair Folke, it's that they take their damn time about shit."

Magnus broke into a smile and jumped out of his seat, grabbing Isabelle and hugged her too tightly. He seemed giddy all of the sudden, and Alec was sure this was one of those moments where the warlock allowed himself a temporary bout of insanity.

"Isabelle that's brilliant. We could use that surely!"

"How is this going to get us into the Seelie Court exactly? Sure we could play that up,_ if_ we were even granted an audience with the Queen," Clary said, spoiling the mood.

"You spoil everything dearest," Magnus said, sinking back into his seat.

"I have a rather bad idea," Izzy said.

"I'm not sure I want to hear," Clary said and covered her face.

"Julian Lizare."

"No!" Magnus said firmly.

"He told me the Seelie Queen was one of the first people he went to in the city. He must have visited before Adelaide chose to go there. He must be on good enough standing with the Court," Isabelle explained.

"He cannot be trusted. It will just be welcoming another snake into bed."

"I'm not the one who cut a deal with Adelaide and made this whole mess! If you talk to him, we can all work together and get this solved!" Isabelle told him.

"I don't like it," Magnus insisted, but noticeably weaker in his argument.

"Can you get ahold of him Iz?" Clary asked.

"Yes but he hates shadowhunters, I think it should just be Magnus and I," She said.

"If it ends this than fine, but when Julian screws us all over don't say that I did not warn you."

* * *

"Magnus!" Julian said, propping his feet up on the table. He had a vague Yorkshire accent, a narrow pretty face, and a wicked smile. His dark hair was thick and wild, pulled back in some form of a ponytail. Isabelle would think he was handsome if she dared, and if he didn't dress like a dirty gypsy. He smiled at her when he noticed her gaze and twinkled his fingers at her.

"Stop teasing," Magnus drolled and sat down, pushing Julian's feet off the table. They were in public after all.

"It's been too long gorgeous. You haven't changed a bit," Julian said, smiling.

"You either, though you could have afforded to," Magnus said. But he smiled too. He wouldn't anger Julian on purpose, he didn't trust him in the least, but Julian had never personally offended Magnus.

"Ah enough pleasantries, I hear I can do you a favor."

Isabelle sat in the booth next to Magnus, but her frame was on edge, and she was too guarded. Julian looked at her up and down, appreciatively. Magnus could see the tips of his fangs stabbing out.

"Down boy," Magnus warned.

"Oh no. please continue," Isabelle said, readjusting her jacket, weapons flashing for an instant.

"I get it. Damn Nephilim always so testy," Julian said and shuddered. "So get to the talking then."

"I need you to get me into the Seelie Court," Magnus said. Julian laughed outright, there may have been a snort in there too.

"How am I supposed to swing that eh? She hates you," Julian mused, meaning the Seelie Queen.

"It would be beneficial for you to agree," Isabelle pointed out. She hadn't liked her last meeting with the vampire, and this one seemed to be no better, but she would get her way.

"Why's that, your snatch come in the deal?" He asked, cocking a brow. Magnus was going to interfere for her, when Julian suddenly seemed in pain. Izzy's hand was under the table, and Magnus couldn't see what she was doing, but he would place his money that she had blessed steal aimed at his nether regions.

"Alright angel calm down," Julian said. Isabelle relaxed slowly.

"Is it possible or not," Magnus demanded.

"Yeah yeah I can get ya in, but what do I get out of this?"

"Adelaide," Isabelle said simply. Julian's eyes blazed.

"That's where she is? The Seelie Court? Let's go right now!" Julian said, rising from his seat. Magnus reached across the table with a long arm and forced him to sit again.

"You need to call on the Queen, we'll all ferret Adelaide out together. We have information that might just mean that she get's handed right over to us."

"What kind of information?" Julian wondered.

"Can't go giving out all our secrets. Contact us when you are granted an audience," Magnus told him, rising with Isabelle and making their way to the door.

"I'll drink her life away Magnus," Julian called after him. A few mundanes glanced his way, making obvious gestures about his insanity, or most just thinking he was a tweaker.

* * *

When Magnus walked in the door, the first thing he knew was that Alec was drunk. All the lights were off in the house, the shadowhunter liked drinking in the dark, and there was broken glass on the kitchen floor. He flipped on the living room light, causing him to get yelled at to turn it off again. He oblidged, waking slowly into the living room and sitting on the couch. Alec had his eyes glued to a small book in his hands. It was an old book of poetry Magnus made him quite a long time ago.

"I found it," He said, handing it over to the warlock.

"Were you looking for it? I can't believe you kept this stupid thing," Magnus said, not meaning it at all because he was very touched that Alec had kept it.

"We're never gonna get it back," Alec said suddenly. Magnus not really sure what he meant by that, but he could guess. "And now.. Is it always going to be like this? You have so much shit behind you and it keeps finding you. We will never get a chance to be a normal couple. Why the fuck are we doing this to ourselves?" Alec asked, and reached for the bottle on the table. It was empty, and Alec looked at it angrily before throwing it into the kitchen where it smashed uselessly on the floor.

"You need to get to bed," Magnus said standing. He couldn't listen to this right now, and in the state Alec was in, it would probably turn out to be the blow out of the century. He couldn't bear that.

"You didn't answer my question," Alec said steadily, the alcohol was clear on his breath and in his eyes, but his voice was perfectly steady.

"I'm doing this because I love you more than any amount of pain in losing you could cause me," Magnus said. He thought for a panicked second Alec was going to cry, but laughter bubbled up instead.

"I was thinking the same damn thing," He said, but eventually his laughter did turn to crying and Magnus rushed over, sitting next to him again.

"Baby please, let's just go to bed," Magnus said, not wanting Alec to be feeling this way right now.

"I wanted it once you know. A family, a house, a good man at my side. I wanted so badly to be normal," Alec confessed. Magnus was trying to calm him down, slipping a tiny bit of magic into the effort.

"Darling I won't lie and tell you we'll be normal, but you can still have that. We could buy a house if you wanted, hell I will build you one if it would make you happy. And you have a family, an amazing one who loves you very much. If you decided you want children we'll adopt, or steal one of Clary's. It will be magical and romantic and wonderful, and anything but normal. You put too much faith in that word," Magnus told him.

Alec smiled slowly, trying to shake off the little bout of depression he had been battling tonight. He just hated thinking about the future so much, it was honestly his worst enemy. A huge hollow feeling would take over his body every time he did think about it, and when he was left alone that was all he could think about. Things were obviously more serious now than they were when Alec had been a teenager in love. Now he did think about the more important and big questions that the two of them together obviously brought up. Magnus's faith seemed unwavering, while Alec's was a sailboat caught in a hurricane.

"I love you," Alec said, and leaned against Magnus. The alcohol was just now starting to make him feel like he couldn't possibly stay upright and conscious another moment.

"I love you too darling. More than I've ever loved anyone else in the world."

* * *

**Sorry if anything is blah, because today is blah and I'm over tired. Review though please?  
**


	12. A Day for Lovers

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: So I had someone who demanded a sex scene, and it's in there. (I finally got busted for writing only build up scenes and not delivering! damn!) Don't laugh at my appalling ability in writing them! Be gentle! I don't think there are any other particular notes for this chapter. There is a little treat disguised in there, that I'm sure most will catch on to. So Review review! I need more to know how to shape the story, what you guys like and don't like, and of course I love to hear theories! Love you all beautiful babies!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Day for Lovers  
**

Alec was sick of waking up and feeling like shit. Today though was an unusually bad bout of shittitude. His head was throbbing, in fact it might have been the pain that woke him up. He could barely open his eyes, the pain was blinding him and the light streaming through the window in his room was so intense he swore he would live in a black hole the rest of his life. There was a small tickling feeling beneath his nose, and he reached up to come into contact with Chairman Meow's face.

"Kill me," He mumbled into the cat, who in turn yowled and leapt from the bed. Alec still refused to move, but moments later Magnus came in to check on him. Alec knew it was him without opening his eyes, the smell and familiar tread on the carpet gave him away.

"I'm sorry for getting so drunk," He said, feeling the weight on the bed shift as the warlock sat down. Then there was the divine feeling of Magnus's cool fingers pressed up against his forehead. The pain started ebbing away slowly.

"Next time at least wait till I get home," Magnus said, a smile in his voice. Alec opened his eyes when he thought he could handle it, and looked up at his boyfriend. _Beautiful._

"Can we spend the day together?" Alec asked suddenly. He just needed him to himself today. Magnus stood and offered a hand to drag the shadowhunter out of bed.

"I have a surprise for you," He said instead of answering the questions, and efficiently pulled Alec out of bed, but being careful enough to be gentle on his headache.

"Close your eyes," Magnus said smirking, Alec complied.

"I hate surprises," Alec reminded him, being guided out into the hall and down it into the living room. It smelled different. Airy and clean, and faintly like delicious caffeine.

"Indulge me," Magnus whispered pleasantly in his ear, then pulled Alec's hands away from his eyes.

"Holy shit," Alec breathed out, his blue gaze widening in wonder. It didn't even look like his apartment. There were light white and golden fabrics hanging down from the walls, completely covering up the fact that usually they were grey and lifeless. The room was lit naturally, but by a huge airy window that Alec specifically knew had never been there before. Furniture was all replaced by giant overstuffed pillows and low tables with flowers on them. It smelled heavenly, and looked like a small slice of paradise. If he hadn't woken in his own bed, he would think Magnus had portaled them somewhere far away in the middle of the night. The archway to the kitchen was covered in a beaded glass-like curtain.

"Where is everything?" Alec asked, moving closer to the low table. There was coffee, and fruit, and some amazing looking pastries he knew he would never be able to identify.

"Safely stored away back at the loft. I'll change it back tonight if you wish. Though I must say this is an improvement," Magnus said, and sank into a large red pillow with golden tassels.

Alec sat next to him and admired the decor a bit. It was a very Magnus thing to do. "The front door is missing," He noted.

"Yes there is a lovely sign outside discouraging visitors. I wanted you all to myself today."

Alec smiled and leaned against the warlock, his headache was vanishing, and the prospect of not having to deal with anyone at all today was so glorious he could almost cry. That is as if Alec would cry over something so silly, or at all. Shit, his eyes did have that stupid puffy feeling, like perhaps he had been crying. How drunk was he last night?

"I got you something," Magnus said, and pulled a wrapped parcel seemingly from thin air.

Alec smirked and took it. He would indulge whatever whims the warlock had right now. He was in his happy place. So even though he hated surprises, and getting gifts, he loved Magnus, and anything he did was great and amazing. So he took the parcel and un-wrapped it. It was a plain black leather book. No words written on the covers. The binding though did have small silver lettering. It was both of their separate initials, along with two dates from quite a while ago. Could it really be? Alec opened it and gasped. It surely was the pictures from their international vacation. Magnus had promised he would put them all together for him, but that was years and years ago, and then the break-up happened. Alec wasn't sure why it had touched him so deeply, maybe it was because he figured Magnus would have burned all these photos by now. It shouldn't have struck him as odd, because they both obviously kept every memento or possible object that reminded them of one another, but this was like looking directly at the past, reminding him more off all the years Magnus had missed, rather than the short long ago time they shared. He felt robbed and blessed all at once.

"Wow," He said, trying to hide the fact that he was a bit choked up. He rubbed a hand into his eye and took a couple moments before speaking again. "Thank you."

"Do you like it?" Magnus asked, putting an arm around Alec and pulling him closer.

"It's the best gift anyone's ever given me," Alec confessed. He started flipping through the pages slowly. They looked through it together, Alec laughing at his boyfriend's outrageous fashion ensembles, Magnus chuckling at how camera shy Alec was. There was an entire section snuck in towards the end of just pictures of Magnus sleeping. Alec remembered taking every single one of them. He remembered the cute rumpled hair, and the innocence in the face, and the glitter scattered all over the pillow. He didn't find anything in life nearly as poetic and stunning as Magnus. Maybe that was what it meant to be completely in love, when someone sleeping is an art form to you.

"Did I scare you last night?" Alec asked when they were done looking at the pictures.

"You just made me sad I guess," Magnus replied.

"Are we ever going to talk about it?" Magnus didn't have to ask what it was. IT! The immortality dilemma that plagued their love and existence.

"I already ran away once because I was so scared. Scared at how much I loved you and what I was willing to give up, scared of what you were willing to do. I don't know if I navigated that fear yet," Magnus said quietly.

"I know," Alec said.

"I wanted to give it up, the immortality I mean."

"Magnus I could never ask you to do that."

"I said I _wanted_ to. But what if I did and I couldn't protect you anymore? I couldn't heal you when the Silent Brothers couldn't get there fast enough, I couldn't ease your tension, hell I couldn't even summon you a half decent cup of coffee. The truth is, maybe my magic is who I am. What if without it, you don't think I'm quite so fascinating anymore," Magnus told him.

"Magnus please, even without your magic you have more fascination just in your hair than I have in my entire body. I'm the one who is already looking older than you, whose looks are gonna fade soon and whose temper gets worse every year. Why would you want to be tied to that? It's never gonna work if we both keep thinking about all these what if's. Maybe we should just live in the moment," Alec suggested.

"Is that what you want?"

"No," Alec said quickly. "I want you to grow old with me, or me to go on forever with you. But we can't have it that way. I won't ask you to give up half your identity to appease me, and I can't let you turn me into something that could be by your side forever. When I was younger I didn't understand that, but if I don't accept it than I lose you. I won't do that again," Alec said.

"So we just accept it?" Magnus asked.

"Yes," Alec affirmed, taking Magnus's slim hand and kissing the knuckles.

"Those eight years were miserable," Magnus said quietly.

"I know," Alec responded, for they had been for him to.

"I'm so sorry I let that time pass without being with you every waking second. There won't be enough time in the world for me to love you in," Magnus promised. Alec wasn't a huge romantic, but he understood that feeling perfectly. Whatever true love was, this was it.

* * *

In the Seelie Court, Adelaide and Constantine weren't able to hide their true identities. Adelaide was worried, since being granted admittance, she had not seen the Seelie Queen herself, or really been invited to any festivities. She had been in her rooms for days, Constantine her only company. Not that she minded the company, but it was something to be worried about. She was starting to feel like a prisoner. When she heard a murmur of Julian Lizare's name pass through the halls, she definitely was starting to think they were being kept prisoner. She paced her room like a feral cat, the hellhound and Constantine both watching her placidly.

"Worry will do nothing," Constantine chided her, looking back down to his book.

"She is planning something. She is going to hand me over to Lizare, you can't let that happen," She demanded. Her strong demeanor was wavering slightly, a weakness she could not afford. Her enemies were closing in on her. She had been so confident that things would work out, that she didn't think of any possibility of failure.

"Don't make me laugh, Lizare has such a weak mind I could make him believe he was a dairy made with the wave of a finger."

"Not if you are bound in chains," Adelaide hissed. Constantine rolled his eyes and approached her. He grabbed her by the arm and swung her around so that she had her back to his front, wrapping his arms around her midsection.

"I will eat the Seelie Queen's own heart before I allowed her to turn us over to Julian Lizare. Use your head pretty girl, we have centuries old friendship with the Queen, she would never give us over to some dirty little gypsy boy."

"Yes, yes, you'll kill them all. You'll protect me," She said, a distant and sadistic look in her eyes.

"I would burn the world down for you my love," He promised her.

* * *

Alec wasn't sure how he let Magnus talk him into it. (A sentence that could accurately describe their entire relationship.) But here he was, lying back against the pillows, in nothing but his briefs and a blindfold. He felt a burning hotness run down his chest, reminding him of the burning pleasure of his stele on his skin. He bit into his lip and gasped slightly.

"Are you going to boil me alive?" Alec asked, his voice deeper than usual.

"I just love watching your reaction," Magnus purred, pouring more hot wax onto Alec's stomach, enjoying the way his back arched slightly, and the delicious intake of breath.

"You like inflicting pain on me?"

Magnus reached down and bit Alec in the neck hard enough to hurt. He knew Alec like it, and he couldn't say he didn't enjoy getting a little taste of him now and again. He kissed the red spot, enjoying the fact that it already seemed to be bruising. When had their foreplay become so harsh? Or a better question was why it hadn't happened sooner. Even the kissing now involved biting and bruised lips.

"Tell me you want me," Magnus said, running his fingers along Alec's hip bones, feeling the other man's excitement below him.

"Make me," Alec said back, flicking a tongue along Magnus's jawline. He grabbed Alec's hand and led him to his erection. He wanted him to feel how badly he wanted it. Truth to tell Magnus kind of needed it, needed to be inside of him, needed the release, needed to hear Alec needing him. He removed Alec's blindfold, wanting to see the blue of his eyes. Those eyes that were filled with so much heat right now he could feel it. When Alec bit his lip in anticipation, Magnus nearly lost it.

"Tell me," Magnus said again, sounding slightly pleading. He kissed Alec on the neck, and worked his way down to those glorious collar bones. Alec removed his briefs and turned over slightly, away from Magnus. He looked over his shoulder.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked with a wicked little smirk. Magnus groaned and pushed Alec forward, burying his face in a pillow, before grabbing his waist and pulling him close, thrusting inside him painfully for just a moment.

"Oh shit," Alec whined, then let out a shuddering breath. Magnus let him have a few breathless moments before starting his motion, gentle and slow. He didn't want to go slow, he wanted to fuck Alec's brains out, but that would be counterproductive to their whole over the top romantic day. He would take his time now. He pulled Alec upright by the back of the neck, so he could kiss him, and reached around him with his other hand to grab hold of him. Alec breathed in sharply.

"You fucking asshole," Alec said, slightly winded, but laughing.

"I could make you do that part yourself," Magnus said in a silky voice, stroking him in his fluid rhythm. Since they had gotten back together, Alec had been the more dominant one, and while Magnus had been enjoying that for a while, it was nice to get free rein today.

"Oh you better not let go," Alec growled, leaning forward and clawing both hands into one of the huge overstuffed pillows. Whoever the original owners of them were certainly would not want them back after all this. Magnus said nothing, only sped his thrust ever so slightly, working with his hand till he could feel Alec quiver a bit. Alec leaned forward more till his face was back in the pillows. Magnus could see the beautiful flush of his pale skin, feel the powerful lungs sucking in breath and moaning softly.

Alec ended up coming first, leaving Magnus's hand warm and sticky. He didn't spare it a second though, only using it to now hold Alec firmly by the hips, going harder until he felt himself do the same. He collapsed forward onto Alec, sweaty chest heaving. He could feel Alec's shoulders shaking in laughter.

"Let's go again," He said.

"I don't know what's gotten into you but I might need a minute," Magnus replied, and kissed Alec softly on the back of the neck.

* * *

It was turning into nighttime quickly. Magnus lay blatantly naked on the pillows, content and out of breath. Alec lay next to him, modestly covered in a sheet and sighing dreamily. It had been a perfect day. No one had bothered them, or was really able to, and they spent it telling stories, making love, and eating perhaps too much. It was nice to imagine that every day could be like this, spent in loving bliss, but the real world was not such a pleasant place. The real world liked to throw fucked up situations at you, and laugh as you tried to navigate through them. Alec rolled half onto Magnus and closed his eyes. Sleep would be nice like this, though the apartment should have the door reinstated soon, as well as all the books and furniture.

"That was an almost perfect day," Alec said.

"What would have made it completely perfect?" Magnus asked him.

"If it didn't have to end," Alec said and laughed.

"Alas it must. I'm sure your family might be slightly freaking out by now." With a snap of the fingers both their cell phones popped back into existence. Alec grabbed his and glanced at it, 26 missed calls. He didn't doubt the majority of them had been from Isabelle. He didn't even want to listen to the voicemail.

"I guess it's time to come back to earth," Alec said and sat up slowly. He was a little sore.

"Go take a shower, I'll fix the apartment. Deal?"

Alec kissed him to seal the deal and made his way to the bathroom. The Chairman was asleep in the sink, he had hidden out in here when the two 'adults' kept trying to place a flower crown on his head. It had been an entertaining way to spend the better part of an hour. Alec rubbed his ears affectionately and got in the shower for a long hot soak. When he emerged he felt sleepy, and ready for bed, but knew he better actually check his voicemail in case some dire emergency did really happen.

The first two were surprisingly from Jace, though all he was doing was singing some loud romantic ballad, Violet to be heard giggling in the background. The rest though were predictably from Izzy, asking where he was, why he was ignoring her, and how she was supposed to send him on jobs if he decided to take impromptu vacations in the middle of the week, reminding him that he had recently taken a vacation and this was bullshit. Alec just laughed and dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.

"What the fuck Alec?!"

"Sorry Magnus did this whole thing today and took my phone. Everything is okay right?" He asked and pulled Chairman Meow from the sink so he could brush his teeth.

"Everything is not okay! I'm resigning," She said over dramatically.

"I could be a millionaire if I had a penny for every time you said that," He told her mercilessly.

"I'm serious! Clary won't be able to help with training because she's pregnant, Jace is being an ass again, you ignored me all day, and three new shadowhunters showed up this morning!" Isabelle cried out. She really did sound like she might actually be crying. Izzy did that when she was extremely stressed, either that or went to the training room and kicked the crap out of practice dummies.

"Calm down Iz! Just write to mom and tell her to hire someone, a couple someone's so that it doesn't all land on you!"

"She's going to show up herself and assess me if I do that! No better to leave her in stupid ignorant bliss in Idris. I'll think of something, I always have to," She said, sounding tired.

"Listen, I'll call up Aline, maybe she can help," Alec said gently.

"Aline hates me," Isabelle pouted.

"That was a few years ago, I'm sure she's over it by now. You two always do that sort of thing. And if you really are as pressed as you say, than you can suck up your pride and kiss her ass until she helps you. Got it? Now stop crying and go to the training room. It will help," Alec told her.

It was quiet for a few minutes, then there was a giant Isabelle sigh. "Fine. I love you," She said and hung up. A very Izzy thing to do as well.

Alec sat in the bathroom for a second, staring at his blank phone screen, wondering if he should tell Izzy about something he had been mulling over in his head for the past couple weeks. It was absurd and out of character, but something he really wanted. He took his time to get dressed and dry off before he dialed her back. She picked up slightly out of breath.

"What?"

"Let me run something by ya sis," Alec said, feeling nervous and in need of reassurance.

* * *

"OH MY ANGEL YES YES YES YES YES!" Isabelle screamed and started jumping up and down. This was the best news she could have hoped for. She could hear Alec laughing on the other end of the line while she continued to screech like Violet when she got excited. She was about to launch into the elaborate details she had already planned when the Institute bell went off. Damn.

"Alec I have to go, but I'm going to call you later so I can freak out more! I fucking love you and that sparkly pain in the ass!" She said before closing her phone and practically floating to the elevator. She passed Molly on the way there, but the girl was walking and reading and in her own world. Izzy wouldn't bother her, though she did take a liking to the girl now. She might not be physically the best young shadowhunter around, but she was extremely smart, and knew more about demons than Isabelle did, which was saying something. She was a brain, and eventually her body would catch up too.

The ride down took longer than she would have liked. It was most likely because she was so excited by Alec's news, but she was slowly getting annoyed because whoever was at the door thought it was a good idea to ring the bell repeatedly. Didn't they know there were sleeping people inside this place? It was rude, and when she got to the great doors and flung them open, she planned on telling whoever was there just that. Yet again though, it seemed no one was there. She had her whip on her always, so she didn't mind stepping out into the night and looking for the culprit. Only a small voice in the back of her mind begged for it to be Simon again.

No such luck, standing by the gates was a vampire indeed, but not one she was half in love with. Upon seeing her, Julian smiled, somehow making it not seem entirely predatory.

"What are you doing here?" Isabelle asked shortly, her good mood evaporating.

"Oh darling don't give me the cold shoulder," Julian purred, stepping close enough to her that she could feel the cold rippling off of his skin. She found herself wondering how old he was, rather than be intimidated by his proximity. Isabelle Lightwood was rarely intimidated anyhow.

"You shouldn't be here," She warned, looking him steady in the eyes. He had a dreamers eyes, and that wasn't fair. Damn attractive gypsy vampires.

"Afraid your boyfriend will catch us?" Julian mused.

"Are you saying that because you actually fear the possibility, or just a ploy to get me to admit if I'm single or not?" Iz asked.

"That's why I like you," He said laughing. "No bullshit."

"You seem completely full of bullshit," Isabelle said, walking towards the gates and opening them. She looked over her shoulder as a sort of invite, and walked out to the side walk. He followed behind like an eager puppy. If she was going to talk to him, she wasn't going to do it on her doorstep. He didn't deserve that much.

"How long have you known Simon?" He asked, catching up to her. She didn't like that turn of conversation.

"How long have you known Adelaide?" She asked instead of answering. His eyes took on a dark look.

"Point taken," He said. It was quiet for a bit.

"So you just show up here to what? Take me for a walk? You're not getting lucky so forget it. I find you repulsive and overly violent," She told him.

"I'm violent? I know all about you now Isabelle Lightwood, don't pretend you're suddenly a virtuous little angel girl," He said smirking. Damn he really was pretty gorgeous. She hated him for it.

"You study up on me?" She asked.

"Yes."

"You're ignoring my question anyways, why did you come to see me?" She said and turned to face him on the sidewalk, walking backwards with ease and grace.

"Well you have been making an appearance in my fantasies lately, those damn boots do things to me," He said practically growling.

"Would you like to watch me use them as a weapon?" She asked innocently.

"Alright alright, I'm here because I heard back from the Seelie Queen. Your girl was right, the she-devil is there. I was promised an audience, but I am only allowed to bring one person with me," He told her, gaze falling lazily over her body.

"Then it should be Magnus," She said and dropped back to walk next to him once more.

"She won't allow Magnus there, I asked. You were my second option, and she agreed."

"Me?!" She asked in shock.

"Yes you, with your heavenly glow," He said, and reached out with a finger to let it trace down her arm. She could feel the cold through her thin shirt. "You can break the news to Magnus. Also you shouldn't be worried, with your position you will be the safest one there."

"How do I know this isn't a trap? From you?" She asked. He winked at her.

"You don't, but it's your only shot. Meet me in the park tomorrow night, and I will take you with me to the Seelie Court. Until then," He said and dipped his head. There was a motorcycle parked on the street, obviously his as he sat on it. She watched him speed off into the night, not trusting him in the least.

* * *

**Dun dun dun? Not really, but I haven't decided yet if I will make Julian trustworthy or not...hmm be weary! Also hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It was the longest one I've written yet! (Even though the sex scene was short and sweet) Much love guys! REVIEW!  
**


	13. Reckless

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Mainly a plotty chapter, but still enjoyable (: Also I was in a rush before my computer died, and I happen to have left my charger at home, so excuse the plenty of typos I am sure you will find! (I didn't have time to properly proof read - sue me!) Love you all! REVIEW!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Reckless  
**

When Isabelle returned to the steps of the Institute, she realized there was someone else who had come to call. She couldn't take another surprise visitor, but she set her shoulders and decided to put up with it anyways. The figure was just a silhouette in the darkness, sitting small and hunched over on the steps. The closer she got, the more she could make out of the stranger. Dark curls poking out underneath a dark purple hood, pale scarred hands, one with a silver ring on a middle finger.

"Gwen?" Isabelle asked, plainly shocked as the other girl stood when Iz had gotten close enough.

"I know it's getting late," Gwen said anxiously, puffy red scar on her face standing out starkly. "I took the mundie way to get here and then I got lost in the city. But I made it!" She said the last part with a little swell of pride that warmed Isabelle's heart. She didn't know Gwen as well as she had known Callista, but the girl was endearing.

"What are you doing here? Did you come all the way from Italy?"

"Yes," Gwen admitted quietly. Isabelle then saw the black bags on the stairs behind her.

"Are you coming to stay here?" Isabelle asked, not fathoming why she would come all the way to New York instead of just turning to the Institute in Rome.

"Well I was planning on offering my services," Gwen told her. "I could help you train! Or teach if you prefer, I just needed to come here."

"Why?" Isabelle asked her.

"Molly is here," Gwen said simply. "and Callista would have wanted me to help watch out for her. I'm useless back home, and my father hovers around me like I'm a mental patient. My parabatai died, but that doesn't mean I'm useless. I feel like I could make a difference here."

Isabelle was honestly touched, and more than relieved. It was like a small answer to her prayers. "Gwen you would really be saving my ass if you stayed," She told her. Gwen launched herself at the taller girl and hugged her tight. Isabelle welcomed the hug.

"You're the one saving me," Gwen whispered. It made Isabelle feel pretty damn good about herself, almost making her forget that she still had to tell Magnus about what Julian said, and still had to face the Seelie Court practically alone. At least she would be leaving good hands at the Institute.

* * *

Isabelle had invited them to Taki's, hoping that being in public would keep the screaming to a minimum. Clary was terribly sick this morning and throughout the day and couldn't make the appearance, but Jace, Alec, and Magnus had all come. It was almost every time they were doing something stupid and dangerous, it was confined to the Lightwood family and Magnus.

"So what's the big news Iz," Alec asked, stirring sugar into his coffee.

"Gwen Highland came to work at the Institute," Isabelle said cheerfully, making everyone look at each other in confusion. True, it wasn't her big news, but she was trying to ease into it if possible.

"That's real nifty Iz," Jace said sarcastically, putting an arm on the back of the booth.

"So you took us to lunch to tell us that?" Alec asked, locking his sister with an accusatory glance.

"I mean, also Julian came last night and told me that he and I have to see the Seelie Queen alone, but no big deal," She said quickly while staring at her nails.

"What?!" Magnus said, rather loudly, being the first person to catch on.

"Wait what?" Alec chimed in a second later. Jace just raised an eye brow and shook his head.

"I told you he cannot be trusted. He's messing with you Izzy, there is no way you can go off with him alone," Magnus tried to warn her.

"I don't think he is," Isabelle tried to cut in, but was cut off again.

"You can't let that pretty face fool you, he enjoys playing games more than the Fair Folke,' Magnus told her again. Alec was saying something along the lines of the idiocy of vampires as a race, but it was in muttered tones as they were in a Downworld haunt.

"Oh so now I'm some blathering girl who can't think straight because of a pretty boy?" Isabelle asked affronted.

"He is not that pretty," Alec interjected.

"It's not what I'm saying, but he is not an innocent man. When I knew Julian in the several times in life that I did know him, the man was an animal. He hates your kind Isabelle, we can't let you do this," Magnus told her. It was making her angry rather than placating her.

"I can take care of myself, and this might be our only shot," She said.

"We'll think of something else," Jace said lazily.

"No we won't," Izzy shot back.

"It's not up for discussion Iz," Alec said, losing his patience.

"Last time I checked, I ranked above you Alexander, you won't tell me what is and isn't up for discussion," Isabelle cut in coldly. The waitress walked up to take their order, noticed all of their faces, and walked away again.

"Isabelle please," Magnus said, trying a different approach. "You don't have to do this for me, I will find some other way to get Adelaide."

"I'm not doing this for you, you narcissistic glittery prick!" Isabelle said firmly, rising from the booth. "I'm doing this for Callista, who was my friend, Gwen, who lost her parabatai, and Silone, who was taken well before her time. Hell, I'm even doing this for that innocent she-demon we sent to the block. I'm going to fix your mistake for their sakes, and because it's the right thing to do. I will be entering the Seelie Court tonight with Julian, and you can both wait for me in the park and support me, or you can stay the fuck out of my way."

Isabelle stalked out of the diner, hair singing and boots clacking.

* * *

Alec was now on edge. He hated the idea of his sister going in there alone with that gypsy vampire. The whole idea was just screaming for someone to put a stop to it. He couldn't even sit down he was so upset. First he had visited with Clary, and the two shared the anxiety, but then she started throwing up again so Alec made a graceful retreat. After that he tried to spend his afternoon training, hoping it would take his mind off it. It didn't. Now he was pacing the living room, Chairman Meow watching him from atop the bookshelf.

"This is your fault," Alec said, stopping next to the window. Magnus was sitting on the couch, head in his hands.

"I know," He admitted.

"If he kills her, I'll kill you," Alec promised.

"Don't threaten me," Magnus snapped. Tempters were fraying on both sides here.

"I'm just telling the truth."

"Well don't. You don't think this is already killing me inside? I didn't ask for your sister to want to put her life in danger on top of everything else!" Pretty soon the screaming match would start.

"She's trying to fix what you did," Alec reminded him.

"I KNOW! I fucking know that!" Magnus screamed, standing up. "How many times Alec have you and your family fucked up royally and I did everything in my power to fix it? Huh? How many fucking times? And now I fuck up once, just once, and it's the end of the goddamn world! I didn't ask for the French cunt to come here, I didn't invite Julian Lizare here either! I've been dealing with what I've been dealt. If you can't stand behind me on that, then what am I even doing here?" Magnus demanded to know. When Alec didn't turn in face him right away, Magnus was ready to blast him in the back of the head. Instead he turned and threw the door open, and left the apartment, slamming it behind him.

"Magnus?" Alec said and turned around. He ran to the door and out into the hall. "Magnus wait!" He called, but the warlock didn't stop and turn around. _Great_.

Alec ran down the stairs, skipping the last few in a graceful slip. Once out on the sidewalk Magnus was only too easy to spot, standing taller than most people. Alec shouldered past a young couple and caught up to his boyfriend, grabbing him by the hand. He yelped and let go when he noticed that they seemed to be flaming a bit. Magnus stopped, but he didn't turn around.

"You can't just walk out like that," Alec said in his defense.

"I can do whatever I please," Magnus responded, but it sounded rather pathetic.

"Hello, we're pretty serious now, don't you think we should do things oh I don't know, together?"

"Exactly," Magnus said, turning on him in anger. "Together! So I don't need you throwing blame in my face, especially when I already get the point! You're supposed to be the one person to stand behind me when things get hard, the one person that tells me it's going to be okay when I'm scared."

"You're scared of Adelaide?" Alec asked skeptical, he couldn't picture his Magnus being afraid of anyone really.

"Not of her, don't you see that yet? I'm scared for you, for your family. If something happened to any one of you I would never forgive myself," Magnus told him. Alec then felt like shit for yelling at him. So yes, Isabelle was being foolish and this was all dangerous, but he wasn't the only one worried about it all. His damn temper just got the better of him sometimes.

"I'm sorry, okay? Please come back in the house," He said, and offered Magnus a hand. The warlock stared at it for a while before sighing and grabbing Alec by the hand and going back into the apartment.

* * *

Nightfall had finally come. Isabelle would be lying if she told anyone she wasn't nervous. She had never had a good experience in the Seelie Court, and now she was going in there with no one she trusted at her back. Her brother and Magnus were here, but they had to wait by the water. She just hoped there would be enough of her left after all this to return to them.

"What are they doing here?" Came a cool voice by her ear. Izzy knew it was Lizare.

"The park is public property," She told him.

The vampire seemed to take it at that, and strode over to the warlock and his boyfriend. Isabelle noticed that he was almost identical in height to Magnus, though he had a bit more bulk to him. Either that or he wore more layers of clothes than Izzy was guessing at.

"You never did trust me Bane," Julian said, meeting him stare for stare.

"I don't trust anyone," Magnus said evenly.

"I bet you trust you boyfriend," Julian said, standing rather closely to Alec. "Should I start sucking you off?"

"Enough," Isabelle warned. There was no need for a verbal smack down right now. She would rather go into this with the vampire in as pleasant a mood as possible, and return here quickly with a purple haired warlock in tow. She felt a frigid hand lace through hers.

"Let's go love, we're going to be late for the party," Julian said, tugging her towards the water. She shot a look back to Alec, letting him know it was okay, and walked into the water with Julian.

"I love you," She called to one or both of them, before disappearing into the Seelie Court.

"Well that was touching," Julian said when they landed somewhat dignified. His hair probably had to weigh 20 pounds between the tangled mass and the water that was logging it down. All his layers of clothing too were probably making him much heavier. Isabelle suppressed fiercely the idea of what he would look like naked. It only sparked in her mind for an instant, replaced by anger the moment she saw his fangs protruding out.

"Your teeth! Don't tell me you came here on an empty stomach," She growled, they needed to be focused, and blood lust was something that easily derailed proper thoughts.

"Your shirt is completely see through," He said to her, infuriatingly biting his bottom lip. Isabelle turned quickly and zipped up her jacket, covering her chest which was indeed quite visible through her wet t-shirt.

"What are your fangs connected to your dick?" She asked outraged and turned towards him again. He was just smiling and staring at her chest, even though it was now covered by leather.

"I think they just might be," He said, looking like a predator as his fangs still stood out starkly.

"Pull yourself together, someone is coming," Isabelle ordered. There was a tall someone coming down the hall. The pit of Iz's stomach felt hollow. She had no one down here to count on but herself, and she unconsciously was keeping a hand over her parabatai ruin.

A tall fawn haired elf appeared in the gear of a knight. Isabelle had no idea who he was, but he ordered them to follow him, saying that the Seelie Queen was now ready to meet with them. Julian offered her an arm to escort her, which she denied, and they all walked to the Seelie Queen's personal chambers. They were almost exactly the same as she remembered them, right down to the curtain of live butterflies that gave her the creeps.

The Seelie Queen was sitting on the closest thing to a throne in the room. It was a tall gold gilded chair, with deep green cushions, and the patterns of leaves molded onto the back. The rest of her Court was seated upon pillows on the floor, or on the bare dirt. It seemed more somber and less mystical in here than it had when she came here when she was young. Isabelle wasn't sure which of them was supposed to be Adelaide, or if the Enchantress was not even present.

"Julian Lizare, and so a second time you call upon the Seelie Queen. What interesting company you keep with you," She said, looking pointedly at Isabelle. Something immediately ticked off as wrong in her brain, she just wasn't sure what it was yet.

"Thank you Queen most fair! I'm stealing this one away from the Daylighter," He said with a smirk. A few of the faeries in the room chuckled. Something was wrong.

"She is beautiful for a child of Nephilim origin I suppose. She will make a most excellent companion for you, if that is why you have come. I'm sure I can make her disappearance look completely normal," The Queen said, holding Isabelle's gaze with her own. Izzy's blood started pounding harder in her veins.

"A most excellent idea beautiful lady," He said, and leaned in close to Isabelle. She thought for a second he was going to bite her, but he stopped by her ear. "Calm down, she's trying to fuck with your head," He whispered almost inaudibly. He kissed her on the neck gently to try to cover up the words. "Though I must admit she is a concern for another night. Tonight my dear lady, I come to you to settle of debt that is only in your supreme power to grant to me."

The Seelie Queen leaned forward a bit, intrigued. It was clear she liked Julian, for some bizarre reason. Maybe it was the fact that he was so heavy handed with the compliments, or that he had permanent bedroom eyes. "Name the debt."

"I want Adelaide and her lover. They killed my clan's leader and fled proper justice," Julian said. The Queen laughed and leaned back in her chair.

"The last time you were here you asked the same, and Adelaide hadn't been here."

"But this time she is here, can you deny it?" Julian asked pleasantly. The Queen sat up again and examined him. Isabelle could not tell if she was angry or not.

"It is true, Adelaide the Enchantress has sanctuary with my Court," She said firmly.

"If I may?" Isabelle interjected. Julian shot her a glance, but when the Queen inclined her head slightly, Isabelle was allowed to continue.

"Fairest Queen, allowing Adelaide sanctuary here is like a personal insult to you. For once she promised you to take care of the criminal Magnus Bane, and she knowing disobeyed you. She has also killed an ancient ally to all, Beaudroux, out of spite. If she has no respect for the elders of the earth, why let her stay in such an ancient and beautiful place, in the presence of the most ancient and beautiful of all?" Isabelle asked. It was her most impressive ass kissing skills, which she admittedly hated to use. Sometimes stroking an ego was easier than having to battle one.

The Queen laughed at this heartily, and Izzy's heart sank. She then motioned forward one of her knights and whispered something to him, and Isabelle watched as he disappeared out of the room.

"You certainly are a clever one Isabelle Lightwood. Notice Julian, how she complimented me and played on my ability to hold a grudge all at once. Spectacular use of wit there, and she does make a valid point. I had been waiting to decide what to do with Adelaide, and I think I have found the solution has knocked on my doorstep."

Moments later a woman was shown into the court, followed by a man. This was the first time Isabelle had ever gotten to see Adelaide, and to say the least she wasn't impressed. The woman's eyes looked mad, and what had once probably been a ravishing body, now had bony angles under bad fitting clothing. The purple hair was limp and lifeless. The Enchantress had seen better days. The man looked completely at his ease, a stark contrast to his lover. As soon as Adelaide saw Lizare, she started thrashing like a madwoman. It took three knights to try to restrain her, one of them had an arm dissolve to liquid for his efforts. The Seelie Queen rose quickly from her seat, sending her court cow towing low.

"Adelaide if you do not control yourself I will rip your throat out myself!"

Adelaide stopped struggling, and allowed the other two knights to bring her forwards. They stood on either side of her, and to the right of the Queen, who sat back down once the situation was under control again. Constantine strode over easily and stood next to the Enchantress, notably not being restrained.

"There there Addy, it's not so bad," Julian said taunting her.

"You can't do this to me!" Adelaide cried out to the Queen. "You allowed them to come here when you promised my sanctuary!"

"You have had it," The Seelie Queen said authoritatively. "No more blood will be spilled in my Court. Florent," She said, addressing the fawn haired knight. "Show the Enchantress out, see to it that she never returns."

"You lied to me!" Adelaide cried out again. The Seelie Queen rose once more.

"I cannot lie you filthy idiot! You are the one who lied to me, when you told me you would take care of Magnus Bane, and now he is the High Warlock of Brooklyn! I have waited a long time to fix your mistakes Adelaide, and I bear no love for long time deceivers."

"You! But you were the one who provided me with the contract to tie Bane, the entire idea of seeking solace in New York came from you! Why lead me to the city only to throw everything back in my face?!" Adelaide seemed to be going mad or something.

"I needed some entertainment. Frankly I thought Magnus would shoot you down and you would kill him for me, but then so many better things started unfolding, and I realized you were the monster I wanted eliminated. Magnus has turned himself right, but you Adelaide, have been slipping for a while. It's the age darling, it catches up to you eventually. So many mistakes, bloody unfixable mistakes. Your crimes are too great for even I to harbor, and your recklessness has changed you from friend to foe my dear. You do know how I hate recklessness in a warlock," The Queen explained to her.

Isabelle saw many things at once. The mad look in Adelaide's eye that she turned to fix on Constantine. A glint of silver, and a flash of hand. She didn't have time to think it through all the way, but she unraveled her whip, crying out for someone to protect the Queen as she lashed out towards Constantine. She caught him by the hand, and his look of shock was so satisfying that Isabelle could laugh.

"He has a blade!" Some voice called out, and everything erupted in chaos. The room started filling with black smoke, and some sort of force field erupted from Constantine, hitting them all like a wall of glass and blasting them away from him and Adelaide. The Enchantress in turn started laughing manically and seemed to be trying to rip apart the air. There was an intense heat, and the sound of steam whistling through a tight space. A flaming circle appeared in the middle of the room, and out of it leapt the infamous hellhound, sinking his teeth into the nearest knight.

"She just ripped open a portal from thin air," Izzy said in shock. She had only seen Clary do something so similarly magnificent. Julian was at Izzy's side, eyes fixed on Adelaide.

"She's all kind of fucked in the head for this," He said to Izzy. He leapt to his feet and charged forward, rushing straight at the warlocks. Constantine noticed him first, and grabbed Adelaide by the shoulder. Izzy thought they were going to stay and fight, but they had to know they were outnumbered. They were going to flee.

Izzy got to her feet and lashed out, missing Adelaide's ankle by an inch. The Enchantress stopped and turned, laughing. Purple flames whirled down from the ceiling, like a cyclone, sending everyone to the ground once more. When the smoke cleared and the flames were put out, the Enchantress, her lover, and the hound were gone.

"Julian?" Isabelle called out. The room was abuzz with chatter, and the group that was fussing over the Queen, who actually looked in the best shape out of anyone, only the edges of her dress singed slightly.

"I'm here," He said from behind her. Izzy turned, and wasn't expecting to feel so relieved at seeing him all in one piece. He was clearly seething in anger, but he was alive and unburnt.

"Isabelle Lightwood," The Seelie Queen's voice ran out. The crowd split immediately, leaving a clear path to the 'throne.' Isabelle approached with apprehension.

"Your majesty," She said and bowed her head a little.

"You have the quickest eye in the room, and for that you have earned a boon from me. Without saying, we will help hunt down Adelaide, but if ever in the future, you find yourself in dire need, call upon me," She said, and held out a small bell to Isabelle. Izzy smirked, remembering the last time the Queen went around offering favors.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the madness, REVIEW PLEASEEEE!**


	14. The Unexpected

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: Just slapping you in the face with lots of plot and twists. Idk really this chapter just happened but I ended up loving it! I had to re-write it four times because I messed up details and blah blah but I think I got it right this time, and if I didn't shock you at least slightly then I will be very very sad with my own abilities! [ps read my end notes and let me know where to head next!]  
**

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Unexpected  
**

"What do you mean she got away? She attacked the Queen?" Alec raged.

"She must have portalled herself out somehow," Julian muttered. He was acting like a kicked puppy ever since being dismissed from the Queen. It was clear he didn't expect Adelaide to have given him the slip. None of them did.

"It wasn't Adelaide, it was Constantine, he pulled a knife of some sort. I think he meant to stab the Queen. After I saw it, everything erupted into chaos. The Queen gave me this for saving her life," Isabelle said and held up her little bell. Alec rolled his eyes looking at it, also remembering what the Seelie Queen counted as favors.

"So what do we do now?" Julian asked.

"I'm going to head back to the Institute and ask Molly is she can still track the hound, that's the only thing we've got for now. If she can't we're back to square one," Isabelle told them.

"I'll put a whisper out through the shadow world, letting them know that she attacked the Seelie Queen. It will earn more enemies than she can count. If we're lucky some noble hearted faerie will take her down," Magnus said, looking unbelievably stressed.

"Magnus, is it normal for a warlock to be able to rip portals from thin air?" Isabelle asked.

"It's always been a specialty of hers actually, it has to do with the nature of her father. The real problem it serves us is that we're going to have to catch her by surprise unless we want the same thing to happen again," Magnus explained. So the outing had been fruitless. The only thing it really did was give the shadowhunters a better taste of what Adelaide could do, and earn a polluted favor from the faerie Queen.

* * *

The group reconvened the very next night. As it turned out, the tracking rune inside the hellhound was still active. The problem was, he seemed to be moving around a lot. The original track led back to Paris temporarily, then blew across Europe in a spectacular fashion. Adelaide couldn't run forever though, so when the track stopped in Italy finally, the group didn't hesitate to go after her.

They had all met at Clary's house, who agreed to draw them all a portal, and guard it till they got back, Molly volunteering to stay with her. The group going through was Alec, Magnus, Isabelle, Julian, and Jace. Any one of them had numerous reasons to want Adelaide dead.

"This portal should open up close to where she is hiding," Clary explained, drawing the runes needed with an artist's fine hand.

"We'll take her by surprise and get back quickly. Remember Constantine can teleport, and don't inhale any of the smoke he produces, it's practically brain melting. Adelaide will have the hound protecting her, and while she might not be the greatest at combat magic, she can command flames like second nature. Best bet is to behead them," Magnus told the group. It was the second time he went to battle with them, though this time the scale was much smaller. But you really never knew what to expect with the Enchantress.

"Let's go then!" Julian complained, and the portal opened up into a shimmery square in Milan, littered with mundanes. Once glamoured, the group progressed forward, ready to hunt the warlock and her lover.

The sights and sounds of Milan burst before them, hurtling them into reality. Alec accepted Magnus's hand up, seeing that the others already were searching for Adelaide. How hard could it be to find a purple haired woman here? Actually it was quite easy, because there were plenty of women walking around with a rainbow of different colored hair, dressed in wildly obnoxious clothing and dancing in the streets. He realized sadly that she would not stick out as much as he had hoped. They had walked into some kind of carnival.

"Do you see them?" Alec asked loudly over the chatter. Julian was up ahead, not needing to shoulder through the crowd like the rest of them, something about him made mundanes naturally back off, even when he was under a glamour.

"How are you supposed to find anyone here? I thought New York was crowded!" Isabelle said turning back to them. Jace was looking rather disgruntled, and was bringing up the rear. They already seemed to be walking in circles when Alec caught sight of a tall regal man, hair shockingly white and curling, tucked behind a pair of glamoured horns. He was sucked quickly into a writhing cloud of multicolored people.

"Constantine!" Alec said, pointing up ahead. Constantine looked back and smiled lazily, having no intention to run. Alec realized he wouldn't have to, the shadowhunters couldn't attack him in front of all the mundanes. They would have to get him somewhere private.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get him?" Isabelle asked angrily realizing the same thing Alec had. Adelaide's infuriating laughter came from behind them, sending them all spinning on their heels. As soon as Julian laid eyes upon her, Alec was sure he would lunge and kill her, no matter if mundanes noticed the attack or not. Isabelle though, laid a hand across his chest to restrain him.

"Here you are again," Adelaide said smirking.

"Give up Adelaide, you can't run forever," Magnus told her.

"I can do whatever I want," She said pleasantly, and melted back into the crowd. The group gave chase then, trying to focus on her violet hair. There was a flash of white or purple here or there, making the group split up to try and catch them. Wherever they were going took them out of the crowded square, and into the streets, bordered on all side by enormous buildings and bright lights. Alec and Jace naturally came together in the pursuit, seeming to close in on Constantine, as Julian, Magnus, and Isabelle cornered Adelaide in an alley. The Enchantress did not seem the least bit distraught about this as she flung herself into a metal door at the end of the alley and slammed it behind her.

Magnus used his power to rip the door from the hinges and the three of them pursued her into the building. Isabelle's necklace immediately started pulsating, and she was the first to detect the sulfuric smell of demon. She held up her hand for them to stop and listen. Julian's nostrils flared.

"Hellhound," He said in disgust.

"You guys go ahead, I'll take care of the demon," Isabelle said. Neither of them budged.

"That thing has killed and maimed too many shadowhunters for you to face it alone," Magnus told her. "I'll help you. Julian get Adelaide."

"Are you sure mate? I know how much you hate her too," Julian said, but was already inching away.

"All that matters is for her to go down," Magnus said. He wasn't going to tell Julian just how much he really wanted to be the one to do it, but knew Alec would never forgive him if he left Isabelle alone with the hellhound by herself. Julian seemed to understand that anyways and went off in pursuit of Adelaide. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Isabelle felt hot breath on her neck.

"Izzy down!" Magnus shouted, and she hit the ground and rolled away, just as the beast lunged into visibility. It turned on Magnus and lashed out with his tail. The warlock jumped back and made a whip of lightning, lashing right back at the beast. He nicked its hind quarters, making the beast howl out in pain. Isabelle too unraveled her whip, and licked out at the beast, catching it around the muzzle. She knew better than to get too close to those stingers or jaws. The hound though slipped out of the whip with it's bottom jaw and clamped down, shaking it hard and sending Isabelle flying. She crashed into the wall, but was on her feet again quickly.

Magnus sent a circle of blue flames around the beast, keeping him locked in place momentarily, until he realized the beast could easily leap over them, which he did, only getting slightly singed by the fire. It was angry now though, and pain seemed to be doing little to slow its advance on the warlock. Magnus cracked out with his whip several times, the blue lightening biting harshly into the beasts shoulder and chest. It still wasn't stopping however.

"Magnus keep it distracted," Isabelle called out. He couldn't see what she was going to do, he only hoped that she would do it fast. He whipped it solidly in the face, making it drop its snout in pain and paw at it for a second. It seemed to be all Isabelle needed, because the next thing Magnus knew, the girl was flying through the air, sailing right over the hound. She threw her whip out and caught the beast by the stinger, pulling the whip tight when she landed, amazingly bringing the stinger right down onto the hellhound's head. Magnus stared slack jawed as the creature began to howl pitifully, and run in circles, all his limbs seeming to give out. It pulled the stinger out and started thrashing back and forth madly till it collapsed on the ground, melting into himself.

"Isabelle, you have got to be the best shadowhunter I have ever known," Magnus said, looking at her in admiration. She lit up at the compliment.

"Make sure you tell my brother that," She said.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Jace asked. Alec paused and looked around, then cursed. There was no way they lost him so fast. A sharp blow to the back of the head sent Alec sprawling on the pavement. Jace saw Constantine standing there, looking down at him pitifully.

"I would advise both Mr. Lightwood to not move another muscle. If I wanted a silly little Nephilim dead it would already be done," The warlock said quite casually.

"What do you want?"

"To give up," Constantine said, looking Jace in the eye.

"You're right that is a spectacular plan," Jace said, not lowering his blade.

"I realized something about myself the other day," He said, stepping over an unconscious Alec and stepping towards Jace. He pulled down the collar of his shirt, and there, branded into his neck, was a thick iron collar. The skin around the edges kept raw and red, part of his natural healing abilities, never letting the skin quite scar over. Jace nearly dropped his seraph blade for a second. Constantine smiled maniacally. "I'm not fit to bear this burden."

"What the hell is that thing?" Jace asked, slightly horrified.

"I was the first of her pets. The one she fell in love with and kept by her side. I do everything she says, because I have to. She makes me desire these things. I have borne it, but I can do so no longer. She made me attack the Seelie Queen. I know my days are numbered, and I know I am not fit to bear this burden," Constantine said, but so casually. There was such a mad look in his eye, that Jace was sure that whoever Constantine had been for the past however many years, was himself trapped inside his own mind.

"Does that thing come off?" Jace asked.

"Adelaide told me only she can ever remove it," He told him. Jace remembered when he had the rune that tied him to Sebastian. How he had been trapped once inside himself, and forced to kill people he cared about, to attack the innocent. If that was what this creature was going through, then it was his solemn duty to release him. No one should be forced to do anything, and if Constantine indeed had been Adelaide's prisoner all these years, Jace didn't even want to imagine all the horrors he probably had to perform.

"Well, maybe it's demonic. Can I try?" Jace asked, holding up his seraph blade. If worse came to worse, and this was some kind of weird trap, at least Jace's blade would already be to his throat. Constantine nodded, and Jace inhaled slowly and squared the blade off up against the iron band. He tried pressing into it lightly at first, and a horrible sizzling noise came when the seraph blade made contact. The warlock didn't cry out, so Jace pressed harder until the blade seared its way through to Constantine's skin. The change in him was dramatic, his eyes dulled to a pale blue as he cried out in pain, the horns became antlers, and his hair changed from white to black. Jace caught sight of Alec sitting up in the background.

"What the fuck?" He said dazedly, and struggled to his feet.

"Who are you?" Jace asked, blinking rapidly like the old demonic looking warlock would appear once more.

"I'm Constantine," Said the man in a soft lilting accent. He looked rather dizzy. "I remember, Oh, gods I remember." He collapsed on his knees and let his head fall into his hands. Both men were too shocked to say anything. Moments later Isabelle and Magnus appeared, breathless and irritated.

"Who's the weepy guy?" Isabelle huffed.

"That's Constantine," Jace said. When Isabelle went to argue, Julian ran up. He pointed at Constantine.

"Who the fuck is that?"

"That is not Constantine!" Isabelle shouted.

"He..he was under some kind of spell, with the collar," Jace said, pointing to the iron thing on the ground. Magnus was angry enough to point at it and shout something in some unidentifiable language. The thing exploded with a loud hissing noise that sounded like a banshee scream. They were all dazzled with the flash of light. There came shouting in Italian from the apartments surrounding the alleyway.

"Grab him, we have to get out of here," Magnus said. Jace and Alec grabbed the weeping man and hauled him to his feet, dragging him with them as they made their way back to the square. They let their glamours down, no one seemed to really be paying attention. It just looked like a group of young people hauling off a drunk friend.

"Where did Adelaide go?" Isabelle demanded as they made their way through the crowd.

"I followed her to the top of the house, and then she lost it and started screaming like a madwoman, like she was in pain. I couldn't figure out what the fuck was wrong with her, then she doubled back to the square and I lost her. I would have kept pursuing but it is getting rather light out," Julian said, unapologetic. Isabelle noticed then that indeed it seemed to be getting on towards the morning. It was about six hours ahead in Italy. She sighed and followed behind. At least the hound had been dealt with, and they had someone who could be the perfect bargaining chip with the Enchantress.

When they got to the broad arched doorway that had concealed the portal, they found it empty. It stunned all of them for a moment before the panic set in.

"Magnus why is the portal closed," Jace asked angrily.

"Maybe Clary got tired," Magnus lied, it wasn't what anyone was thinking.

"Open one now," Jace said, through gritted teeth.

"Yeah you might want to step on it, I don't fancy dying right here right now," Julian said, nervously looking at the sky.

"Alright block me from view," Magnus said quickly, getting to work on conjuring up the portal.

* * *

Molly was sitting nervously on the couch when everyone returned. She jumped to her feet right away and sprung towards Jace. There were tearstains on her face and her eyes were bloodshot. There was a deep gash on her forehead that she hadn't bothered to try and heal, the dry blood caked on her face and in her hair.

"I'm so sorry we tried to stop her," She choked out.

"Where's Clary?" Jace demanded to know, and Molly pointed down the hall. Jace ran down to their bedroom, which was empty. His stomach dropped when he thought of where she was, and he turned, walking stunned to Violet's room. Clary was huddled up on the floor, rocking back and forth and weeping. There were clear signs of a struggle, and their daughter was nowhere to be seen. Jace dropped on his knees next to her, and she instinctively turned her head and buried it in his shoulder.

"I couldn't stop her," She sobbed out. "She has our baby!"

Alec heard what Clary said from the living room, and collapsed into a chair. It took all the fight out of him for a second. It was one thing, when Adelaide was attacking people who could fight back, but Violet was only four. She would be so afraid.

"What do we do?" Alec asked. He felt completely lost.

"Where is she!" Isabelle screamed and grabbed Constantine by the shirt. She shoved him hard into the wall, pulled him towards her, and did it again. "Where is she you son of a whore!"

"She could be anywhere!" Constantine cried out.

"You know her! Tell me you don't know exactly where she would be hiding!" She said and pounded her fists into his chest. He took the pain in strides, though it was clear he wasn't fighting back.

"She's lost her mind," Constantine shrieked.

"I'm not crazy!"

"Not you! Adelaide! I mean it when I say she could be anywhere!"

Isabelle eventually let Constantine go, stepping back and catching her breath. There were angry tears in her eyes. She wanted to turn around and beat the answers out of him, but for some reason she believed him. She didn't want to, he was a warlock, and this could be a trick. But there was sincerity in his eyes, and a softness to his voice that spoke of honesty.

"So you can't help us?" She asked.

"I wish I could," He whispered sadly.

"How do we know he's not lying," Alec asked suddenly.

"That collar was serious business," Magnus said reluctantly. "Now that he's without it, he won't be connected to her anymore."

"Fucking warlocks," Alec said shaking his head. He refused to acknowledge the look of pain in his boyfriend's eyes at that comment.

"I came from a time when _that_ didn't matter," Constantine supplied quietly. He must have been incredibly ancient.

Jace came down the hall then. He had put Clary to bed, who had cried herself sick. He was rigid with anger, and marched to the center of the room, looking around at all of them with accusation.

"So what's the plan?" He asked sharply.

"Jace," Isabelle began gently.

"I said what's the fucking plan! How are we going to get Violet back?" Jace shouted. They were all silent and avoiding looking at him. He kicked the coffee table, successfully smashing it. Molly yipped, and Jace turned on her. For a split second everyone gasped, he wouldn't hit a kid right?

"We already have the answer." Molly said quickly. Jace stopped and everyone looked at her. She pointed to Constantine.

"I told you I don't know where she is," He explained exasperated.

"So what? We have you, she'll want you. She'll come to us," Molly said. It did make sense, she had probably stolen Violet to exchange for the warlock.

"I'm not going back to her," Constantine said firmly. Jace whirled on him, but before he could say a world, time froze. Constantine breathed out slowly. This was a terrible mess, and he wanted to help these people, he really did, but he was not going to be traded for the life of some kid. He would not go back to being a prisoner inside his own body again. He made his way towards the door, but was stopped short when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me go Magnus," Constantine said evenly.

"You can't leave them like this. You're going to meet with her, you're going to pretend you are still in love with her, and you're going to stab her through the heart. You can end this, and you're going to walk away because you can't face her?" Magnus asked.

"She stole my life from me Magnus," Constantine said quietly.

"That sounds like all the more reason to do it," Magnus told him. Constantine sighed, but walked back into the room. The two warlocks took their places again, Magnus giving him one last look of encouragement. Time unfroze and Jace yelled something at him. Constantine just held up a hand.

"Okay I'll do it."

* * *

At around four in the morning Alec and Magnus finally collapsed into bed. Jace was not content that they would have to wait for Adelaide to contact them, and it took a long time to calm him down. Eventually Magnus put him to sleep magically. He left a note that everything would be okay. Magnus wasn't sure if he believed that or not, but he had to for all of their sakes. Truth to be told, Adelaide could have already killed Violet. Jace had freed her most precious treasure, and she would never forgive him for that. If Constantine could play the part well enough, maybe they could survive it. He just hoped it was not already too late.

"I knew Adelaide was cruel, but I couldn't imagine her stealing a child," Alec said quietly. Magnus put an arm underneath him, and pulled him close to his side.

"It's not the worst she's done. She just used to be a lot more careful about being caught. I knew she would slip up eventually. Now that we have Constantine we can finally end this," Magnus said, trying to be reassuring.

"Maybe she really is losing her mind," Alec mused.

"It happens," Magnus confirmed. They lay quietly for a long time, just content to hold each other. It had gone all so wrong so fast, but at least they were both still alive. They promised to always stand by each other, Magnus just hoped they would make it through this.

"And what she did to Constantine, that's insane," Alec said.

"Yet somehow it makes sense to me. How could anyone love that cruel woman?" Magnus asked.

He could hear Alec's breath even out as he fell asleep. It was one of those moments where Magnus really thought life was beautiful. There were so many things wrong, so much evil felt, and yet he still had love. How could that even be? How did he even end up lucking out like that? He thought of Constantine, and the love he had to forcibly give to a woman he hated, of Isabelle who opted into being alone, sacrificing love for her duty, of Jace and Clary, whose love had been through the ringer since the beginning. How had he gotten so lucky?

* * *

**MUHUHAHAHAH AND THE PLOT THICKENS! Not many more chapters to go!  
**

**Oh and as a side note guys (shameless self promotion), I just started a Zombie Apocalypse/ Modern Day AU fanfic about Game of Thrones! Y'all should check it out if you're into that sort of thing! Also since this fic will be wrapping up soon, and I want to start another one in the Mortal Instruments universe! I'm stuck between a Sizzy sequel to this story, (A love story with Julian trying to steal away Isabelle and Simon returning!) or a fairytale AU with Magnus as a prince and all the character's in his court! If you want to see either of those let me know! (Also seriously check out the game of thrones fic, it's coming off to a slow start! It's called Dead Winter and you can see it on my page!) MUCH LOVE! xoxox LadySerenade **


	15. Already Lost

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare made the world of shadowhunters, I just write fanfiction about it. **

**Author's Note: ALL MY LOVES! Sorry this update took forever, I've been in the process of moving and work has been triple crazy, but here is the long awaited chapter! Sorry to say it is the final chapter, though I am working on an epilogue! (and possibly a sequel!) I just want to say thank you to all the support this little project has gotten and I love every one of you guys to the moon and around it! It was meant to be a mushy mush Malec fic but the plot kinda got awesome on me and I had to run with it! I hope there was enough fluff and stuff for y'all ;) I wouldn't have had the courage to write it without the love! So enjoy the chapter and stuff and feel my big chesty hugs to all of you! SMOOCHES!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Already Lost  
**

Molly, as it turned out, had been right. It was the very next day that Adelaide sent word of where to meet her if they ever wanted to see Violet again. It was all very Disney super villain of her, but the relief was wide felt that the child was still alive. Constantine had agreed that he would do it, he would kill Adelaide, but he was obviously reluctant about it. He didn't have high hopes of living through the encounter, the final thing that cemented his agreement, was the promise that he would be allowed to disappear afterwards. No one would pursue him if he set things right, and so he agreed.

"You all will have to keep your distance. If she sees you that child is as good as dead," Constantine told the group. Jace looked like he was about to argue the subject further. "You're going to have to trust me."

"I don't trust you," Jace said simply.

"I have on your bloody tracking rune. If this were all a trick why would I agree to that?" Constantine snapped, sick of being mistrusted by the lot of them. He knew that his past was marred in sins he could never atone for, but he had no choice in those sins. Everything was on Adelaide's shoulders now.

"You'll do the right thing," Magnus insisted. They were all standing in the shadows across the street from the abandoned house where Adelaide first portalled through. It would seem they had come full circle.

"Good luck," Alec added in before Constantine made his way across the street. He looked back at all of their anxious or angered faces. This was not how he wanted this to go, he wanted to run as soon as his mind had been his own again, but he knew that would have been a selfish thing to do, and there used to be a time when he considered himself a noble person.

The door to the building had been ripped off its hinges some time ago, and Constantine had to duck his head significantly to get inside the empty archway. He didn't waste time looking around for her, he knew exactly where she would be. So he made his way slowly to the third floor, as if he was walking off to meet his own death. That could be true if he didn't play his game well.

When he reached the upstairs room, the only one in the building left intact, he walked inside quickly, knowing that if he delayed anymore he would never do it. Adelaide was there of course, seated on a rocking chair, Violet cradle in her lap. It was an extremely disturbing sight. The Enchantress looked even thinner than when he saw her yesterday, as if she was somehow wasting away. Her once lovely and entrancing hair was limp and tanlged, hanging dirty in her face. The woman's eyes were wild also, and she grinned like a maniac. She had been so beautiful once, even to this version of himself.

"Adelaide," He said, making his presence known. She looked up and laughed, shifting Violet so that she might sit up. The child had her eyes closed, and if it wasn't for the tiny fluttering of her chest, Constantine would think she was already dead.

"I knew you would return to me love. Now everything is perfect," She said and affectionately tucked a strand of hair away from Violet's face.

"What do you mean?" He asked her, taking a small step closer. She looked at him sharply till he was still again.

"You've changed my dear, have you been being a naughty boy?" She said wildly.

"Dearest I've come for you. Let the child go and we can flee this place," He said cautiously. She laughed heartily.

"You think I will give her back? She's ours now! You spoke of a family once," She said and rocked in her chair.

"That was generations ago," Constantine reminded her, almost briefly losing his temper.

"Yes, when you looked as you look now you had said those things to me. You were so in love with me! You followed me everywhere, did anything I said, forsook your family. Oh how grand it all was, my little Greek boy," She said and laughed at him. He tried very hard not to lash out at her then. She still had the child, if he could get Violet away from her then he could finish this.

"I remember," He said through gritted teeth.

"Oh don't pretend to be angry now, you were willing to give up anything for me once!" She growled. He was going to have to switch tactics if he wanted to get anywhere near her.

"I still am," He said simply. "I don't know any other life."

She smiled wickedly and stood up, still holding Violet in her arms. "You're right, you don't! Your life belongs to me," She said sweetly upon approaching him. He stood so still, barely even breathing. He didn't want her anywhere near him, but he had to do this. He gave his word.

"Look at how beautiful she is," She said, stroking Violet's cheek. "We could raise her as our own."

"What of her family my sweet?" He asked.

"I'm her family now!" She shouted, Violet remaining completely still, as if she were asleep.

"They are waiting for the tradeoff dearest, if we don't hand her over they will come after us again, we will never be free," He said, trying to find some reason left in her.

"Then they can take her corpse," Adelaide said sinisterly and pulled a long shining dagger from thin air. Constantine had to act quickly, and teleported behind her, grabbing for her arm just seconds before she plunged it through Violet. She screamed in rage and dropped the child with a sickening thud as she turned towards him and grabbed his hand with both of hers, trying to get control of the weapon. It grew suddenly hot and Constantine had to let go lest risk burning his hands. He struck out with his force field, knocking Adelaide away from him and to the ground, the dagger skittering across the wood.

Adelaide stood and lunged for the dagger with more speed than he thought she would have left. He teleported closer to her and she whipped around savagely, lashing out with the dagger and getting him straight across the face. He felt the hot burn of blood trickling down his cheeks and nose, but chose to ignore it, he didn't have time to think now of the damage that would come to him, not when the kid was still so helpless and right within the Enchantress's grasp. Adelaide went towards her once again and Constantine reached out with his power again, flattening her to the floor. She screamed in rage and the ceiling caught fire in a sudden inferno, the heat and roar of the flames sending Constantine to the ground as well.

"We shall die together my love!" She said to him laughing as the walls were licked by the flames. Constantine reached out for Violet, catching her by the leg and pulling her towards him. Adelaide bounded forward again, dagger in hand and eyes fixed on the two of them. Constantine quickly filled the room with smoke and teleported himself and the child downstairs. There was a horrible scream from the mad woman upstairs, carrying out into the night. He was blindsided when the house erupted in a pyro of purple flames. The heat blasted him off his feet and he crashed into a wall, dropping the child. He tried to get his eyes to open but his ears were ringing and he couldn't manage to move any of his limbs, and he was sure his jacket was on fire.

"Constantine!" He heard shouted into the house. He tried to warn whoever it was of their location, and that Adelaide was still alive, but he was choking on the smoke from the rapidly growing flames. He coughed violently and somehow managed to tip his body forward to cover Violet's body with his own.

* * *

When they saw the flames there was no use trying to hold back anymore. Jace charged forward, Magnus and Alec hot on his heels. They charged in just as the entire house went up in flames. Magnus did his best to keep the fire at bay, while at the same time trying to funnel the smoke out of the house. Alec and Jace went in together, falling in step perfectly, eyes aware of everything around their limited vision through the smoke and flames.

"Constantine!" Alec shouted, bow in hand and ready to defend himself and his parabatai. He heard nothing in return. "She would divide and search?"

"No, stay by me," Jace said. Right about now he was cursing himself for telling Isabelle to stay home with Clary. While he knew she needed to be there to support her parabatai, he really wanted her sharp eyes in this madhouse. A creak in the floorboards sent the men back to back, looking all around them and trying to see through the haze. Adelaide's accursed laugh sang through the air, but seemed to be coming from nowhere in particular.

A flaming arrow whizzed by Alec's head, grazing his cheek with a slight sear. He unloaded his own arrow in the exact direction it came from, but only heard it splinter into the wood and the maddening laugh. Another flame arrow came from behind them, but Jace was quick enough to whirl around and knock it from their path.

"That's the thing with you warlocks, never know how to fight fair," Jace said, trying to taunt her into the open. She just laughed again as she sent more arrows at them from all directions.

"How are we supposed to fight something we can't see?" Alec hissed, loosing arrows in random directions and praying to the Angel it would make contact with her. Jace looked just as frustrated about the whole thing.

"Magnus! We could use your help in here," Jace shouted. Moments later the tall warlock appeared next to them, already looking a bit gray in the face.

"I can't bring down the flames, her spell is too strong," He said between choking breathes.

"The smoke, can you get rid of it?" Alec asked, never stopping his eyes from roving around them. Magnus clapped his hands together, creating a thunderous sound. All of the sudden all of the smoke around them began to rise quickly, and both men looked up to their equal surprise to see the night sky littered with stars and black smoke. Magnus had blown the roof and floors clear off the house. When they heard footsteps to the right of them, all three turned ready to face down Adelaide.

"Julian?" Jace said, recovering first from the person who was obviously not the Enchantress. "You're supposed to be protecting the girls."

"You think Isabelle really needs me to protect her?" Julian asked with a quirked brow. "Besides I got someone else on the job."

"Who?" Jace demanded.

"The daylighter, now do you have any more questions, because I thought we were here to save your daughter," Julian said through barred teeth, fangs glittering dangerously. They were all silenced by Adelaide clucking her tongue and coming into focus.

"Well, all my pretty boys in one place. How it saddens me to inform you that you are too late," She said smiling maniacally.

"Where's Violet?" Jace asked in rage, all of them were ready to spring on her in a moment's notice. The walls were still flaming and the building was collapsing around them as well. Whatever move had to be made it needed to be made fast.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume she's dead," The woman said, gesturing to the room behind them. All of them turned to see a flaming figure over top of a smaller figure that couldn't quite be made out. If it wasn't for the slippers it would have been impossible to distinguish Violet under the flames. Jace dropped his weapons and ran to her, pushing Constantine off her and cradling his daughter in his lap. Alec just stood there slack jawed, completely in shock. Even Magnus was taken aback for a moment. It was Julian who never took his eyes off the Enchantress, and lunged at her ferociously, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the wall. The flames started to die down slightly, as if having her air cut off so harshly was weakening her.

"Have you no heart!" Julian shouted at her, pulling her forward and slamming her back into the wall again. She let out a cackling laugh.

"If I'm not mistaken child, yours stop beating years ago. Getting all caught up with the little Nephilim are we?" She asked smiling, blood seeping between her teeth. Julian's fangs were already protruding and he snarled in her face like a rabid dog.

"I'm going to drain your blood and wear your spine like a crown," He said to her, eyes dilating in pleasure. She looked slightly afraid, but was putting on a brave front as always.

"Go ahead and do it, I've already won," She said laughing. Julian leaned in close to her, pressing her body to the wall with his own, breathing down her neck like a predator.

"You think you've won? Those Nephilim unmade your whole life Adelaide. They took your lover, they uncovered your plans, and they hunted you down like a dog. At the end of the day they lost a child, and they can always have more of those. They still have their family, their love intact. You my dear will only have a cold circle in hell waiting for you," He told her, and reached forwards with his teeth and ripped a gaping hole in her neck. She cried out, a horrible and pitiful sound, before sliding down the wall. Julian held her almost affectionately as he took her blood, hating and loving the poisonous sweetness that ran through her veins. Magnus had to come pull him off of her eventually, but he had never felt more satisfied in his life.

* * *

Clary and Isabelle were laying together in Clary's bed, trying to do anything to keep their minds off the constant worry. They had been watching the Titanic, but neither one of them was really focused on the movie. Simon sat a few feet away in the window, and none of them had said anything to each other. Clary was most likely in shock, losing her daughter and then being reunited with Simon after not having heard from him for several years, was a shock to the system to say the least. Isabelle was even a little put out of sorts when Julian showed up with Simon in tow. The night had quickly turned to madness, and she didn't have the energy to question it anymore.

Suddenly Simon jerked to attention, and then looked at the two women. "They're back."

Isabelle and Clary exchanged nervous glances and then bolted out of bed, Clary running down the hall and to the door as it opened. It wasn't precisely the group that had left, just Alec and Julian standing there covered in soot and blood.

"We need to get to the Institute," Alec told his sister. She didn't need to question it, but Clary was not going to remain silent. The whole way there she asked a million questions, demanding to know every single detail. Alec relayed the story the best he could, right up to the moment when Julian killed Adelaide. He told them that after that Violet awoke screaming, and that she was most definitely alive. She was unwell though, and whatever spell she was under had left her with a nasty side effect. She had been terrified of everything, even her own father. Alec also relayed that Constantine had protected her, and was still alive but barely. It was going to be a long night, but the most important part was settled, the Enchantress had met her end, and that made all of them feel more relieved.

When they arrived at the Institute Julian and Simon agreed to wait in the sanctuary till everything was seen to, and the rest of them rushed to the Infirmary. They found Jace and Magnus there, hovering over Violet who was unconscious once more. Clary flew to her husband's side and he held her tightly.

"Is she going to be alright?" Clary asked thickly.

"It will take some time but she will be just fine," Magnus assured them before collapsing ungracefully into a chair.

"And Adelaide? She's really dead," Isabelle asked, needing the reassurance.

"I watched Julian rip her throat out," Magnus assured her.

"It'll be a group effort to keep all this hushed up," Isabelle said sighing, and sat on one of the infirmary beds, fully ready to go to bed right there.

"We've kept bigger things under rap," Alec said, going to stand behind Magnus and then starting to rub his boyfriend's shoulders. It seemed all of them were beyond the point of exhaustion over this whole thing, and it felt surreal for it all to be over, but it was. They could finally rest.

* * *

Isabelle awoke several hours later, sitting up in one of the beds in the Infirmary. She looked around a bit dazedly for a moment. Clary and Jace were both crammed in one bed with Violet sandwiched firmly between them, and Magnus was asleep in a chair with Alec curled up in his lap. It felt so normal to her that Isabelle could not help but smile as she got up and stretched. She then remembered that she had left Simon and Julian waiting for her in the sanctuary.

"Shit!" She said to herself and ran from the room. Her heels echoed through the sleeping Institute all the way to the secluded little spot where her less holy visitors were welcome. She threw the door open, but it seemed no one was there. She should have known better than to think they would have waited around, but some part of her had hoped that they would.

"It's about bloody time," Julian's snarky voice rang out in the echoey room as he emerged from the shadows.

"You guys are still here?" She asked laughing, but relieved.

"Just me actually," Julian clarified. He felt a bit wounded when her face obviously dropped at the notion that Simon had left. "He had uh..business to attend to," Julian told her, trying to make her feel slightly better, not really sure if it worked or not.

"Yeah it's okay," She said a little sadly.

"Is the kid alright?" He asked her.

"Magnus said she'll be just fine, Constantine too if he takes well to the healing. His burns were pretty intense," Isabelle explained, and then the room fell silent. Isabelle started nervously twirling the ends of her hair and hadn't even heard Julian approach, only knew he was there when she felt a cold hand underneath her chin, forcing her to look up into his cold eyes.

"I can't thank you enough Isabelle, for giving me a chance and bringing me into this thing," Julian told her, holding her gaze steady with his own.

"I'm just glad it paid off," She said boldly, making him smirk his devil's grin.

"Well not many people give me a chance to be noble," He explained to her.

"I doubt you are very noble to begin with," She told him.

"You're right, I'm down right _wicked_," He said, practically purring the last part. "Still, it feels nice to be the good guy for a change."

"Well if you ever need anything, anything legal that is, you can call me," She promised him.

"Can't I just call you in general?" He asked mischievously.

"You wish," She told him with a wink, and turned back towards the door. He laughed at her and spread his arms out wide.

"I have all the time in the world love!" He called after her.

* * *

**Le End~ but not really because I know what you are all thinking, WHERE THE HELL IS ALL THE MALEC STUFF?! Fear not my darlings, the epilogue is almost entirely over the top Malec fluff! I will try and get it up by the weekend! The ending part is kind of steering towards the direction the sequel will be taking, which I have decided will be a Simon/Isabelle/Julian love fiasco, with some Malec thrown in because how can I not? I will also be trying my hand perhaps at a medieval AU fic where Magnus is a nifty prince and stuff, so look forwards to that! Anyways hugs and kisses darlings, and just know that the epilogue will also have to do with that hint Alec dropped to Izzy in a phone call during an earlier chapter, if you recall that ;) xoxo LadySerenade**


End file.
